Thinking About "Warrior Moms"

Tonight I recorded a podcast with one of my new friends, Jessee Stewart.  (We met at the Las Vegas Retreat.)

I'll be posting the recording in a few weeks, but in the meantime, I just wanted to share my gratitude for the "Warrior Moms" out there.

That term is used often by Glennon Melton at Momastery, but I also heard it from my friend Sarah Hull, who wrote a beautiful post on her blog about mothers who are warriors each day for their children, particularly those who have special needs.

Jessee's first daughter lived only three months.  She had a rare heart condition, and she was profoundly deaf and blind.  But when you hear how strong Jessee has become as she went through this huge trial (and how much she values deliberate motherhood), you can't help but feel touched.

Our conversation got me thinking about my sister Linda, whose son Austin has been in and out of the hospital throughout his entire life.  She wrote a post recently for Power of Moms about Austin's Tuberous Sclerosis Complex that you can read here, and yesterday she emailed the family to tell us that the Make-a-Wish Foundation is sending her, Austin, her husband, Brent, and her mother-in-law to Disneyland in September.  We are all praying that Austin will be healthy enough to make the trip.  I told my children about it today, and they are so excited for him.

I've also been thinking about this video I watched several years ago about a baby named Eliot, whose life has inspired millions--even though he only lived for 99 days.  (This is definitely worth the watch.)



As Jessee and I were talking tonight, the theme was "Cherish the Little Things."  That's something I'm working really hard at achieving.

Yesterday, Eric, Ethan, and I played Twister in the living room (at Spencer's request) while Spencer was the "spinner" and sat happily on the stairs.  It was hilarious.

Alia is assisting one of our cute neighbors with a cooking class she's teaching to 10 little girls. 

Every morning, Alia gets herself ready, packs up my red apron, and walks down the street for the class.  Then she comes home with a new recipe she wants all of us to try.

I'm taking each child on a special date this week to get a new pair of shoes and a few outfits for school.  When I took Ethan on Monday, he only wanted to look at the Legos.

 
Today was Spencer's turn, and Grace made me promise to text her pictures so she could offer her perspective on his wardrobe.  Here's a screenshot of part of our conversation:

Warrior moms inspire me to want to be better and to enjoy moments like this. I'm grateful for their voices, and I'm grateful for their examples. I know their burdens are heavy, but they are amazing, amazing women.  And they make a difference to me.

Much love,
Aprill