Tis the time of year when facebook newsfeeds are filled with 20 something days of grateful posts, which I think is absolutely fantastic. Once a year we can announce to the world how grateful we are. And with 20 something days to do it, we can be very generous with our gratitude.
For us parents of transplant kids, gratefulness takes on a whole new meaning. We can be grateful for our families, the roof’s over our heads, the food on our table, and so much more. But does regular gratitude cut it for having your child’s life spared from certain death?
Over the next few weeks we will be exploring these topics with articles about “Writing your donor” and “Giving gifts to those who help your children”.
As parent’s of these very special transplant kids, there are many ways to show your gratitude in everyday life. First by enjoying your child for who they are. We often go to extremes trying to keep everything in our little ones life meticulously clean for their suppressed immune systems. We make sure they get every immunization to keep them healthy. After all the work is done, it is nice to just sit down and play a board game with your child, ready a story, or play ball in the backyard.
Letting your kids be kids is very important to them being socialized in the world. Remember to put aside the worrying we all do from time to time and just enjoy the moment with your child. We know more than most what a gift our child’s life really is. Living life to its fullest is not just a once in a lifetime moment, it is an everyday moment. How amazing is that. We get to appreciate every day like it is a special occasion. Our kids can live a lifetime of experiences in a tenth of most people’s lifespans.
So I am proposing, that the best way to give thanks for the little blessings that we all call our children is to celebrate life. Celebrate it in its tiny moments like learning to tie a shoe or zip up a jacket. Celebrate it in its big moments like graduating or being the best at what they like to do. We as parent’s celebrate every lab draw, every bite they take, every breath they breathe, every doctor’s appointment, every milestone. We get the gift of celebrating every moment. How awesome is that.
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