Update 12/26/09 Day 48

Dear friends,

Merry day after Christmas! I know yesterday's post was very long, but I hope it filled you in well on some of the details of Stephen's recovery process. Hannah is still recovering too, only her injuries aren't visible on the outside. She has rocketed through the phases of emergence from brain injury, and we are grateful. She still has some "big picture" issues to work through, and we will soon see how a loaded school schedule will play out in her life. Remember, it takes a full year to eighteen months for full recovery from a subdural hematoma.

Steve's brother came from Syracuse today with his family. It was a joy to spend time with them, and Tom has that same Smith sense of humor and quick wit that lightens any load. We say in our house that Joseph inherited his "bellow" from his Uncle Tom. Both of them have two settings on their voice volume control: off and BOOMING. So you can imagine with all of us in the dining room things got a bit loud. We ate all kinds of leftover sweets. I think if sugar consumption could heal broken bones, Stephen would already be a walkin' man!

I dismissed a bit of self pity this morning, following the advise of my favorite author C.S. Lewis, by telling it where to "get off". Self pity is a loathsome thing, sucking all the light and hope out of the soul. Stephen and I reminded one another that we are passing through this city of restriction, and that some dear ones make their way living always in their wheelchairs. To them I long to bring the stuff hope is made of, because their road is much longer than ours. It seems grace is passed out in the measure required, and at the moment it is needed. I can't figure it out, but I have lived it and observed its truth.

Tonite we have a family favorite in the DVD player, "The Princess Bride". Buttercup (The Princess Bride) has a beautiful, poor farm boy as her servant. He loves her, and the way he tells her is by responding to her every request with the words "as you wish". What a great picture of true love! "As you wish" becomes a euphemism for "I love you", and shows up later on in the film a couple of times, and at the end in a stroke of writing genius. Isn't that what true love is? Putting the other before yourself, setting down what you want to say "as you wish" to another? Jesus did the ultimate when He made His way to Calvary. He said "As You Wish" to His Father, and thus purchased spiritual freedom for man. He said "As you wish" to us in our need for forgiveness and grace. What a remarkable Savior... By the way, if you've never seen the movie, don't miss the hysterical scene between Vizzini and Wesley over the iocane powder. Priceless!

I've barely seen my 12 year old since he got some new video games for Christmas. Normally we limit him on "monitor time", but it's Christmas, and things haven't exactly been normal around here. I've got chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen to lure him to my lap, so I can smother him with kisses for 10 seconds before he's off to video zombie land again. The cat has survived without an anti depressant, and I'm actually almost caught up on the laundry (do you ever really catch up?) Soon the new year will start, and I resolve to make no resolutions. I know myself too well, and only say "I want to follow my God one day at a time." By His astonishing grace I will, and so will you my dear friends.

Time to start the wheels turning that get this house to bed. I'm looking forward to when Steve can again go out and lock the doors, check the windows, clean the litter box and accomplish the myriad of other simple blessings it hurts him to give up doing. I love the man so. I wish I could make it better.

To you my faithful travelling companions, I look to the day when some broken soul has a need, and I am able to say "as you wish". You've said it a thousand times, in a thousand ways, to me.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann