Friday, December 12, 2008

A Hug from A Stranger

I can't wait for this week to end. It's been a hard one for our family....a constant drip of hard news and uncertainty. I won't go into detail, but by Thursday afternoon I was pretty unhinged. Ed has been working lawyer hours for the last couple of months. Working until 2-3am has become the norm these days. Noe has been sick for a better part of the week. His sweet little self disappears when he is sick and he turns into a teenager on meth....angry with a lot of unfocused energy.

I was determined to get something done that day, besides wrestle with Noe, so I decided to run a long-overdue errand. Car rides usually relax Noe, and Asher manages himself well these days. A group of autism families is sponsoring a family. The family is a single mom, teenage daughter and two young boys with autism. We are helping them set up a home therapy program for their boys, training the mother and daughter to be therapists. We are also supplying the house with therapy materials and appropriate toys and games. They have no job, no insurance, no prospects (and why I am complaining about my own charmed life right now....I have no idea). They are supposed to be anonymous, but I have met them. Amazing mother. The teenage daughter is so bright and determined. The boys....smart, with lots of potential, but a handful.

Anyways, I was supposed to deliver my part weeks ago.....the woman in-charge probably had given up on me. Mapquest said it was a 20 minute drive to her house. It took us an hour in the rain and traffic....it felt like 10 hours with Noe's screams. I was crying and shaking by the time we got to her house, the week had done me in. An hour before we got into the car, I found out we had lost a big appeal to our insurance company for some of Noe's therapies. I was spent, angry. When I got to her door, it quickly opened. I had planned to leave the goods inside the door and leave, considering my state. This woman I knew only from email appeared. I gave her my donation, apologized for the lateness. Before I could run away, she was hugging me. She knew. Her son is 12, doing great, but it was a long road. She said my son will get there too....with time and work. I believe her.

2 comments:

Beth said...

Jen - I am so sorry you are having a rough few weeks. It's so nice though when someone else realizes it and reaches out. I will be flying into VA tomorrow. I will email you once we get settled and I know what my car situation is. It would be nice to see you, if it's not too much for you guys... I know it's a busy time of year.

Razzy said...

That made me cry. You are a good Mom Jen, I always look to you for strength.