Finding our Wings

I wanted to apologize for slacking on keeping everyone updated. As I got daily questions on how Mason has been doing and how everything is going, I became very confused. Little did I know I had left my faithful followers hanging! So yes, I apologize for that.

Mason finished his second round of chemo last week and had been doing fairly well. Yesterday, however, he got his first fever (104, yikes!) since being in the hospital. Since then he hasn’t been feeling too great, which is totally understandable. He is allowed to have visitors now though, and I know it really cheers him up when someone texts and asks to come see him. You can imagine how awesome it must be for him to be allowed to see people other than my parents, my siblings and me! It’s a nice change of pace for him for sure.

Yes, he does need a bone marrow transplant as I previously said, but he maintains the most incredible positive attitude that inspires me daily. I thought that after seeing how he handles everything, it would be harder for me to empathize with people stressing over what I might see as petty problems, but it’s just the opposite. It’s easier. Seeing Mason so happy almost 100% of the time on such a difficult journey when he could be depressed or upset almost 100% of the time only helps me to see how differently people handle things. Fortunately, for my family and myself and Mason especially, Mason is the kind to take things as they come. Maybe he does sit there and wonder why this happened to him, I know I sure do, but he doesn’t let it show. At this point, he knows that he just has to swing at the pitches he’s thrown to get on first base, regardless of the amount of curveballs pitched to him. We are also fortunate that Mason knows the game well enough to play it smart once he gets on first and to take it one base at a time. That’s exactly what we’re doing as a family; we’re taking it one base at a time.

With the tests to find out if one of the three of us is a match coming up, I’ve done nothing but pray that one of us will be that match. It’s extremely hard to wait. It’s worse than waiting to hear back from colleges, and it’s worse than the final minute of a tied up basketball game. It really hurts to know that we can’t do anything to make ourselves a potential match. All three of us got our genes at conception, and they don’t just change during the night.

While the waiting is pretty annoying (among other things…), I try to stay positive just as Parker, Morgan and my parents have been doing. We all know this entire journey will end with our baby of the family back in our house, healthy and free to do whatever he wants. We know that he’ll get better as countless children have done before him and will continue to do in the future. We know he’s in the greatest hospital, under the best care. My family and I know that we’re lucky to have such a special kid in our lives and to have each other. The six of us are here in hopes that our love will give one another roots, and eventually, we will help each other fly. We only want the best for each other, and it is in that desire to see each member of our family succeed and also to help them do so that we realize how truly blessed we are. I pray that all of you are able to say the same and take into account all of your blessings. Help your loved ones find their wings just as my family does for one another.