I've Got Your Back!

You may have noticed I haven't posted lately, and I thought I would explain why. A couple of weeks ago I broke my arm and hand in 3 places and injured the ligaments in my wrist. For those of you who have known me for even a relatively short time, I am certain that this comes as no surprise. It's been a running joke in my family that if something weird can happen, it will happen to me. I most certainly have earned that reputation! I could tell you dozens of stories about strange illnesses and injuries, but I won't bore you with the details. Needless to say, this broken arm fiasco has had me bummed out! Thank goodness it is my left arm, and not my right. I have to admit, though I am NOT proud to do so, that I have been throwing myself a little pity party! Whiny...table for one!

However, I woke up this morning and decided that I would spend some time focusing on something that I truly could not live without. My support system!

I have had many times in my life when I wondered how I would possibly survive the difficult situation I was facing. From losing a close friend in high school, to broken hearts, to my own electrocution and subsequent health problems, to our Fragile X diagnosis and life, I have needed the support of many people. There have been days...lots of them, in fact, that I wondered how I would have the strength to put one foot in front of the other.

I am certain that every single person has felt the weight of the world on their shoulders at some point. Sometimes life doles out heartbreak that we simply cannot bear alone.

Here in lies the blessing in disguise. When I have been at my lowest, I am reminded just how loved and supported I am. First, I have the power of prayer, which connects me to my Creator in a very real and powerful way. When life gets darkest, He is nearest. I also have the incredible blessing of my family. Like all families, we don't always see eye to eye, but when one of us is hurting or struggling, the others are always there. I remember as a kid I would fight like crazy with my siblings (I am the oldest of 5). We would argue, ignore each other and even not speak for days on end. And that was ok, BUT let me tell you, if someone else would pick on a sibling, the others of us would come to the rescue every single time. There was no fight too big or important to keep us from being there for each other. Also, I have to mention that I am beyond blessed to have a mom who is loyal and loving to her core. I couldn't have hand-picked a better mother!

Not only do I have an incredible immediate family, I also have extended family that are there for me, through thick and thin, no matter what! Growing up, I spent lots of time with these people. My extended family is enormous! My mom is one of 9 children in her family and most of her siblings have multiple children and now grandchildren. You may think that one would get lost in the crowd or that everyone would be so busy raising their own families that we may not be close. The opposite is, in fact, true. I have cousins that feel much more like siblings and aunts and uncles who have stepped into parent roles for me when I needed them. To say I am blessed is an understatement!

And while I have enormous support from my family, I also have some of the most loyal and incredible friends who have stepped up for myself and my little family over and over again. I am so grateful for each of them!

In the past year, I have had the honor and privilege of becoming a part of not only the Colorado Fragile X community, but also the national and international community as well. There are some really hard things about having a child with a major disability, but being a part of such a loving and supportive community is not one of them. I have never met a group of people who is so present and active in the love and support of one another.

The long and short of it is that we, as humans, are not meant to face life alone. It's just too hard that way. So, whether your support system is made up of 2 people or 2000, take advantage of every single opportunity to love and be loved by those people. No matter what happens, you know that someone's got your back and you have theirs! And really, what could be better?