Monkey Madness!

"Benjamin, is that a monkey? What does a monkey say? Ooo, Ooo, Ooo, Aah, Aah, Aah!" With a stuffed monkey in hand, I then pretend the toy is giving my son kisses, and he explodes with laughter. We discovered the "monkey game" a few years ago while I was playing with Benjamin in his room. At that time his favorite stuffed animal was a neon multi-colored gorilla that reminded me of an Easter egg. In his collection Benjamin also had a striped sock monkey and a realistic looking brown chimpanzee we had picked up from a zoo gift shop early in our marriage. As you can tell, my son's stuffed animals were very diverse in appearance, so I was impressed when he started making the association between the three toys. I would make monkey sounds and give him kisses with the gorilla, and on his own initiative he would grab the sock monkey. After that he would grab the chimp and then repeat the cycle. I was thrilled because it seemed we were beginning to build a bridge over to imaginative play. It was a breakthrough!

As time went on, we added more monkeys to his collection, and a few of them met their demise (usually a failed cycle through the washing machine and dryer). Benjamin is typically resistant to any new toy at first, but if we gave him a new stuffed monkey it was an immediate success. The monkey game became so popular, I went into auto-pilot mode when we played. Eventually, we added lions to his repertoire as well, though they have never been as exciting as monkeys! One day Benjamin wanted to go back and forth between the two animals. I forgot what I was doing, and the lion started making monkey sounds. Benjamin gave me a quizzical look, and I was encouraged by his perceptiveness.

The monkey game is still popular at our house, especially with Grandma Jan. She has only to enter the front door and Benjamin is waiting for her, monkey in hand, exploding with giggles. Monkeys are such a daily part of life in the Hemminger household that Joelle only has to hear the word "monkey," and she begins bobbing up and down saying "Ooo, Ooo, Ooo!" Some days we hide the monkeys for a while, just to ensure a break from the repetitive play.

Benjamin's initial breakthrough in imaginative play has now become more of a crutch in his play time. The toys and games that have fascinated him for the last few years are beginning to grow dull for him, but he is not yet willing to progress into the next level. He quickly becomes bored and agitated, but he resists attempts at something fresh and new. So what does he ultimately do? He reverts to what is familiar.

My son's life has often served as a parable to teach me valuable lessons, and I have been pondering another one this morning. We all experience different seasons of breakthrough in our lives, whether they are subtle or extreme. Sometimes the breakthrough is internal--a shifting in emotions or mindsets that brings us to a healthier state of being. Sometimes the breakthrough is external--a new opportunity, an increase in provision, a restored relationship. Sometimes the breakthrough is spiritual--a greater understanding of the heart of God or a deeper experience of His presence and power. When breakthrough comes it is fresh and alive, and it is meant to propel us forward. If we "camp out" in our place of breakthrough, over time we will discover that it has become stale and stagnant.

Now, I want to be clear about what I am saying and what I am not saying. I am not saying that we should constantly be moving from thing to thing, place to place, or job to job to stay fresh. That pattern is often evidence of an inner restlessness and lack of stability. I am saying that we should always be seeking to grow in wisdom, maturity, skillfulness, and creative expression. This continual forward motion is what will keep us fresh.

As for my son, I do see forward motion in him, but it is often at a slower pace than I would desire. However, I am so proud of him for the progress he is making and all that he has overcome so far. There is another valuable lesson in this as well. Father God knows where we've been, where we are, and where we are going. What may look like slow progress to some may be significant progress to another. He knows us, and He enjoys us every step of the way!

 

 

 

Affectionate Embrace

Heart swelling with love, I watch my five-year-old treasure leaning at his "movie spot" on the living room recliner, happily watching his beloved "Elmo's World." Unable to contain the affection I feel, I pull him down on my lap and smother him with hugs and kisses. Benjamin is definitely an affectionate boy, but right now he's focused, and Mommy's cuddles seem to be more of a disruption. He wiggles his way out of my arms and resumes his post. Later he will approach me with out-stretched arms and laugh with delight as I pick him up and hold him close. Whichever response I receive from my son, my love for him and desire to pour my affection on him are unchanging. He WILL be showered with love, and there's nothing he can do about it!

I've been contemplating these dynamics this week as I consider the nurturing love of the Holy Spirit. He is not some ethereal cloud out there somewhere; He is not some mystical mist; He is not an "it." Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, equal in love and power to the Father and the Son, and He desires our fellowship. Indeed, He is God on earth, and He is the Presence we feel as we draw near to God. I've realized how easy it is to fall into striving to get closer to God, but all He's asking is that I yield myself to His love. He is so eager to embrace me and pour His affection on me. I don't have to convince Him to do so; He can't help Himself but to love me crazy! I wonder how often my response is the same as my son when he's watching his movies. The Holy Spirit is seeking to draw me close, but I am distracted and focused on other things. I unknowingly pull away from Him, eager to engage with the activity or entertainment in front of me, missing the opportunity for deepening intimacy. However, my distraction does not dampen His pursuit, and when I reach out my arms to Him, desiring to be held, He is right there to embrace me and shower me with His affections.

I am learning bit by bit to yield myself more to the all-encompassing love in His heart. In the middle of cooking dinner, or cleaning house, or playing on the floor with my kids I can pause, turn my heart to Him and whisper, "I love you." He's right there every time. The truth is He's always present; I'm just learning to recognize His presence more. I'm learning to receive His love that's unconditional and eager to embrace me.

I can't help but love the little "treasures" the Lord has given Shawn and me. My children don't have to do anything to earn my love. I love them because I love them because I love them! If this is the love of a created being for her offspring, how much more the love of the Uncreated One for His creation? Take a moment today to quiet your mind, turn your heart, and allow the affectionate embrace of the One who loves you perfectly to surround you. There is nothing more satisfying!

 

God Doesn't Waste Anything

God doesn't waste anything. Like a patchwork quilt, every seemingly random piece of our lives will ultimately find its place in His grand design. I have been considering this reality as I am celebrating the recent fulfillment of one of my life-long goals to publish a book. "Reflections from Holland: A New Mother's Journey with Down Syndrome" hit the on-line market of amazon.com on July 19 with a Kindle edition available a few days later. I am still eagerly awaiting the arrival of my first shipment of copies, which should be in before the end of the week. It feels a bit surreal that something I've always said I wanted to do someday is now a reality!

From the first moment I had the ability to form words and sentences on paper, I have had a passion to write. It's in my blood. Even as a child I daydreamed about publishing a book. I remember my first attempt as a 10-year-old in 5th grade. I eagerly wrote a short story entitled, "The Land of the Unicorns" on notebook paper with a pencil. I'm sure my story was somewhat inspired by my love for My Little Ponies, but I had my sights set high with visions of a fully illustrated children's book, destined to be an instant success. My dreams may have been far-fetched, but the important part was--I was dreaming!

My favorite subjects in school centered around writing and the arts. While many fellow classmates would be groaning over a new writing assignment, ideas were already forming themselves in my mind, and I was eager to begin. I could have easily been labelled as a "nerdy kid" in school, but under the surface of shyness and some social awkwardness, God was forming and molding gifts and dreams inside of me, and every new writing assignment was another stitch in the quilt He is creating.

There were more writing endeavors in time. In middle school I was so excited to have a creative writing piece featured in a state publication of student writers. I had composed, "The Life of a Leaf," writing from the perspective of a leaf first beginning to bud until it fell from the tree, brown and dry. I don't remember where the inspiration came from, but I do remember having a lot of fun imagining and writing!

Sixteen years ago, as a sixteen year old high school student, I was excited to place in a national writing contest. I was an avid reader of Brio, a Christian magazine for teen girls, published through Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, CO. Every year they held a writing contest in which each contestant answered four essay questions. They received numerous entries from across the nation, which were narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists, then 8 semi-finalists, and finally a winner with three runners up. The winner would become the next year's Brio Girl and would have her own article in the magazine every month for the year. My junior year I decided to take my chances and entered the contest. I was shocked and thrilled when I was chosen as a top 20 semi-finalist, and this only increased when I was chosen as one of the 8 semi-finalists as well! At this point in the contest, each girl had to make her own home video introducing herself and complete several more essay questions. Though I didn't go any further in the contest, I had a wonderful time completing these requirements, and an excerpt from one of my essays was featured in the December 1998 issue. The essay that was chosen was my response to the question, "Describe one of the toughest situations you have been through and what the Lord taught you from it." I wrote about the pain of my parents' divorce my third grade year and the testimony of how God used those circumstances to bring my family to salvation. An excerpt from that essay reads, "Through it all, the Lord showed me that He was, and would always be, my Father. He also showed me that by His perfect will, good can spring from the most painful experiences. I might never have experienced the joy I feel from being a child of God!" Little did I know that this truth would become the foundation for my future writing. 

After Benjamin's birth, I searched for stories about Down syndrome that would bring comfort and encouragement to my heart. One of the first books that I read was "A Special Kind of Hero: Chris Burke's Own Story" by Jo Beth McDaniel. It is a biography of "Corky" the much loved star from the 1990's family sitcom Life Goes On. He was born with Down syndrome in a time period when most parents would have placed him in a institution, but his parents and siblings loved him and encouraged him to become the very best he could be. I was so touched by his story that I searched for a way to contact him. To make a long story short, I was able to get a letter sent to his parents' home in New York, where he still resides. I was thrilled to receive a hand-written letter from his dad in response, along with their home phone number! With butterflies in my stomach, I made the call one day. Chris answered the phone:

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Chris?"

"Who's this?"

"My name is Dana Hemminger. I wrote you a letter recently about my little boy Benjamin who has Down syndrome." (I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something along those lines.)

Pause..."Here's my mom!"

I enjoyed a 10-15 minute conversation with Mrs. Burke, and was very uplifted!

The next book I read was "Roadmap to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome" by Jennifer Graf Groneberg. I appreciated reading a story from a mother's perspective. At this point I had started to write bits and pieces of our story as they came to mind. I remember the very first line that began to compose itself in my head:

I waddle down the long hallway, IV lines in tow as though I’m floating through a dream. The story of Benjamin's C-section birth followed. I found an e-mail address for Jennifer Graf Groneberg and wrote her a thank you letter for her story and the encouragement it brought me. We e-mailed back and forth a few times, and I was able to share some of my writing with her. She humorously told me that she got so caught up reading about Benjamin that she burnt the cookies she had in the oven! She encouraged me to keep writing.

What I was really longing for, though, was a story written from a Christian mother's perspective. I found one book entitled, "Angel Behind the Rocking Chair: Stories of Hope in Unexpected Places," by Pam Vredevelt. She had a son with Down syndrome, and parts of his story were recorded in her book, but there were also several stories about other people and events, all carrying a message of hope and God's love. I drew strength from reading this book, but it still wasn't quite what I was looking for. I was starting to realize that the book I was seeking may not have been written yet.

During Benjamin's first year I received some words of encouragement that sunk deep into my heart. In a nutshell, I was told that I was one who had found joy in the pain and because of this I would be able to help others find joy in their pain as well. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says that God "comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." I realized that I may need to write the book I was wishing I could find. Sometimes God will ask you to give from your place of need.

I never knew that my dream of writing a book would be fulfilled from my place of deepest pain, but I would not change a thing. My prayer is that this most vulnerable story would be a tool in the hands of a tender and loving God to bring comfort, hope, and joy to others in the midst of their pain. He doesn't wasted anything!

 

Angels Among Us

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” –Matthew 18:10 NIV

I am convinced that my son sees angels. Ever since he was a baby there have been times that his face will light up with delight and he will look intently up near the ceiling. His gaze will shift as though he is tracking something that is moving all around. These experiences often happen in an atmosphere of worship, though there have been many times Benjamin is simply playing in the living room, and he will suddenly demonstrate this behavior. There are a few songs that I sing to my little boy that seem to trigger this response in him as well. He has his repertoire of children’s songs he likes me to sing to him, and he will engage with me for each one. Often, though, when I reach two certain songs, his attention will drift from me, and he will turn to look towards the ceiling, obviously full of joy. The first song is inspired by a passage in Proverbs:

A cheerful heart is good medicine, good medicine, good medicine

A cheerful heart is good medicine, Proverbs 17:22

So dance, dance, dance everybody

Dance, dance, dance everybody

Dance, dance, dance everybody

Everybody dance!

I wonder if he is watching the angels dance! The second song is lovingly termed “Benjamin’s Song.” When I carried him in my womb, I asked the Lord to give me a song for my child that would speak of his identity and destiny. The Bible says in Zephaniah 3:17, “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs,” (NLT, bold font mine). Simple lyrics and melody flooded my heart, and “Benjamin’s Song” was born:

 

Mighty warrior, child of God

Mighty warrior, child of God

Mighty warrior, child of God

Benjamin Lee, beautiful boy

Benjamin Lee, beloved of the Lord

Benjamin Lee, son of my right hand

Benjamin Lee

I try to make a habit of singing this song over Benjamin daily, and he responds every time. Even if his mind is not grasping the meaning of the words, his spirit is being touched. I am so encouraged to know that my son’s cognitive limitations in no way hinder him from being able to experience the presence of God. In fact, I believe his simplicity makes is easier for him to receive and encounter the supernatural realm.

After we tuck Benjamin in at night, we always play a worship CD in his room. Sometimes he goes right to sleep, but other times we hear him making vocalizations that have a singing quality to them. We will then here delighted squeals and laughter. I believe he is encountering heaven’s realities in these moments!

In our culture that is so bound to our own rationale and physical senses, it’s easy, even as Christians, to forget the invisible realm that is present all around us. However, according to Paul, the unseen is the greater reality. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal,” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV). The things we can see and experience with our physical senses are passing away, but those things we cannot see will endure forever. Angels are a very present reality, and they are God’s gift to us. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14, NIV). “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways,” (Psalm 91:11, NIV).

My son gives me constant reminders that there are truly angels among us. I will often find my heart turning in worship to the Lord as I observe my son responding to things that my eyes have not been opened to see. I pray that one day he will be able to articulate his experiences. I pray that they will remain with him throughout his life. I pray that in time my eyes will be open to see what he sees.

As a closing thought, I believe God’s signs and wonders are often signs to make you wonder! We will never be able to figure everything out, and if we think we can, we have reduced an Almighty, limitless God to the same size as us. What a tragedy! Jesus told us in Matthew 18:3, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven,” (NIV).Children don’t insist on analyzing everything before they are willing to believe. They simply believe. They live in the wonder of discovery and awe over things they may not understand. I desire to keep my heart tender to the Lord in this way. He doesn’t have to explain everything to me. I welcome Him to fill my heart with wonder. One sign that makes me wonder is the orbs of light that sometimes present themselves on pictures I have taken. They will vary in size and brightness. Sometimes I will take several pictures in a row, and they will shift in location or may appear or disappear all together. I wonder if I am seeing a physical manifestation of the angelic realm in these photos. While I cannot prove my theory, I am nonetheless encouraged by the reminder that the Lord’s presence is with me and my family, and that He has assigned angels to us. We are not alone!

 

 

 

(In the above picture, I was reading a children's story about the Father heart of God.)

 

 

(Children's Christmas play at our church)

 

 

 

Help from Readers

Dear readers,

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am working on book inspired by this blog. If you have been encouraged by what you have read here, would you please consider sending me a short endorsement? You can share how you have been touched by our story, a specific blog that has been especially meaningful to you, etc. Please let me know if you are comfortable with having your name in print in the endorsement section of the book or if you would rather remain anonymous. You can leave your comments on this blog site or on my Facebook page. Thank you so much!

Dana

Tell Your Story

Some time during Benjamin's first year, I received a special gift from a friend that still hangs on the wall of our bedroom. It is a colorful, small wood carving of a woman holding a bird with the words, "Tell Your Story." This blog has been a wonderful outlet for doing just that, but I am ready to take things to the next level. I have hardly blogged at all this year, partially due to the busyness of caring for two small children, but largely due to my current project of compiling much of my writing into book form. My husband graciously releases me on Saturday mornings to head to my favorite coffee shop and work on crafting wings for this new "bird" to fly. To date I have a completed rough draft for my book Reflections from Holland: A New Mother's Journey with Down Syndrome. I will soon begin seeking to have it self-published. I think I know which avenue to use for this, but I would appreciate prayers for continued wisdom and direction. Stay tuned for more unfolding details to come!

 

A Time to Cherish

I wrote this a week ago...

“One of the best things you can ever do for your son is to have another child.” I heard these words on several occasions from Benjamin’s physical therapist before that happy day in July 2012 when we learned I was finally pregnant for the second time. We had always planned on having more children; having a child with Down syndrome neither discouraged nor motivated our desire. However, I was (and still am) excited about the benefits Benjamin will receive from having a sibling. On the flip side, though, his therapist also told us to expect that new layers of grief would emerge upon the arrival of a “typical” child. Watching our next child naturally develop would cause us to recognize more and more just how hard our son has had to work to meet developmental milestones.

During the months I was pregnant with Joelle, I was intentional to ask the Lord to speak to me about her life. I remember the day He whispered to my heart, “Enjoy her! Enjoy the process of growth. She will be a healing balm.” As we are now quickly approaching the celebration of her first birthday at the end of next month, I am keenly aware of how true all of the dynamics mentioned above have been—benefits, grief, joy and healing.

The healing began early in the morning of February 28, 2013. The evening before, I cuddled Benjamin next to me on the couch as he drifted off to sleep. It was a bittersweet moment as reality hit that this was the last time it would just be Benjamin and Mommy. Starting the next day he would have to share me. I held him close and soaked in the moment.  I could barely sleep that night, due in part to the discomforts of late term pregnancy, but even more so because of the anticipation of knowing we would soon meet our baby girl! (Due to my necessary C-section with Benjamin, I would have been hard-pressed to find a hospital or provider in our area who would allow me to try a vaginal delivery. The C-section was scheduled for one week prior to my due date). When the alarm went off before the crack of dawn, I was eager to change into my comfy fleece pants and pull-over and head for the hospital. My mom, who had arrived the week before to help with the new baby, sleepily saw us out the door. “Dana, you’re glowing!” she exclaimed.

 Shawn and I talked and prayed as we made the drive across town. It was such a new feeling to know we were having our baby today in contrast to the shock of Benjamin’s early delivery nearly four years before. As the surgical team began to prep me for the C-section, I prayed that Jesus would hold me and surround me with His peace, for I clearly remembered the terror of my previous experience. While the spinal was being administered, a calmness rested on my heart, and I knew this time it was going to be so different. Soon my newborn daughter’s shrill, strong cries pierced the air, and I smiled confidently that she would have no difficulty breathing on her own. It was hard to contain my excitement as she was cleaned, weighed and measured. I was going see my baby right away this time! My heart felt like it would burst when Shawn held our swaddled daughter by my head so I could look at her and kiss her face while my C-section was being completed.

Once in my hospital room I had only a short wait before little Joelle was placed in my arms. My mom walked into the room less than a minute later, her face beaming, as I serenely said, “I just got her!” It was a beautiful moment. There were no tubes, wires or ventilator to hinder my view of her tiny features. Instead of touching little hands and feet in a NICU bed, I had my baby where she belonged—cradled in my arms, close to my breast. It was a very healing day!

I won’t go into all the details about the contrasts that accompanied the next several weeks as Shawn and I had the first time experience of what it was to care for a healthy newborn. Benjamin’s early months were mostly spent in the hospital, coupled with his extreme fatigue as a result of the holes in his heart. I was also mostly recovered from the C-section before Benjamin was able to come home. Joelle was a high-maintenance baby from day one, and we were exhausted! While I was pregnant, all I could think about was how glorious it would be to bring a healthy baby home right away. I was so thankful that she was healthy and that she was home, but I had underestimated the degree of work and energy that would be involved, especially while recovering from major surgery. I used to have to wake Benjamin up to nurse. Now I was praying that my baby would sleep for just a little bit between feedings! It took a while before we got into a rhythm and life began to have a normal balance to it again.

During these last ten and half months, I feel like I’ve had to learn to be a parent all over again. I know that every child is different, but I believe that when you have a child with a disability the differences are so much more apparent. It has been both thrilling and heart-wrenching at times to watch Joelle’s natural progression of development. As she will suddenly master a new skill, I will remember the great amount of time and effort involved for Benjamin to reach the same milestone. The day I first offered her a sippy cup I was shocked as she immediately latched on and began to suck. (To get a fuller picture of how monumental this was for me, see my June 2011 blog post “Lessons from a Sippy Cup”). I have been amazed at her alertness and curiosity as well as her motor and language development.  Last week I was reading a book to her and pointed at a picture on the page. Without skipping a beat, she extended her index finger and pointed at every page in the book as we continued to read. I wasn’t trying to teach her to point; she just did it. I was a bit dumbfounded because one of the skills Benjamin’s speech therapist and we are currently working on is to teach him to point!

With speech in mind, there was the amazing day when Joelle was eight months old, and she spoke her first purposeful word. She was sitting in her high chair while Shawn, my mom and I were seated around the table. Looking at me, Joelle began to say, “Mama! Mama!” and clearly wanted me to hold her. It was simultaneously one of the most beautiful and painful moments of my life as a mother.  I had waited over four years to hear that word spoken to me, and while my heart melted to hear it from my baby girl, my heart broke that I am still waiting to hear it from my son. I know it will come in time, just as so many other things have before.

Though they are nearly four years apart, many of my interactions with Benjamin and Joelle are very similar at this point. The same games and songs bring delighted squeals and laughter from both. The same books and movies capture their attention. The same toys are played with (and fought over). There are moments when I want to laugh and cry, such as the day when both children sat on the floor chewing on a sock! In those moments, I have to choose to laugh. In those moments I have to remind myself to enjoy and cherish the present. The developmental stages that have felt so dragged out with Benjamin will continue to progress over time, and I don’t want to look back with regret that I didn’t savor this time when my children are young.

I also have to remind myself how very far my son has come since the arrival of his sister. I remember so well the day I was still recovering in the hospital, and Shawn brought Benjamin in to see me with the news that he had just walked unassisted all the way from the parking garage! It was a huge turning point and answer to prayer. He is now walking around everywhere and gaining more and more independence. He is learning to feed himself and play with more focused attention. He is communicating through some sign language, and is thrilled at attend Pre-K every morning. He is branching out to new relationships and becoming more and more of his own little person. I am so proud of him!

As anticipated, the adjustment to having a sibling has been a challenging one for Benjamin, but overall he has done better than we expected. His initial response when we brought Joelle home from the hospital was to ignore her. (He even ignored me for the first day, which I never would have imagined)! In time his curiosity won over, and he began to look at her and touch her, often smiling and laughing as he did so. For the most part he has been gentle with her, though there has been some hitting along the way. He is also careful to step around her when she’s playing on the floor. There is definitely jealousy, too, as he adjusts to sharing Mommy and Daddy’s attention, not to mention his toys! However, none of his responses have been any different from what would be expected from any first child. Joelle continues to be fascinated by her big brother and everything he does. She is so eager to follow him and try to do whatever he’s doing. This will really get interesting once she begins walking! I look forward to witnessing the continual unfolding of their relationship.

The contrasts between my two beautiful children will become more and more apparent as time goes by, but I am reminded that I need to celebrate them both at exactly where they are and for who they are. Even as I drove to the coffee shop this morning with this blog already beginning to compose itself in my mind, I found myself praying, “Lord, help me be free to be me. Help me to be who You intended for me to be.” How quick I can be to compare myself with others, either feeling that I am coming up short or wondering why they are struggling with an area I’ve had grace to overcome. When I am aware that I am going down this road, I ask the Lord to forgive me, but I will often find myself walking there again. I am so thankful for how incredibly patient He is with my weaknesses. He is neither offended nor surprised by them, and He is committed to helping me to grow and overcome. My children remind me that we all have different areas of strength and weakness, and we need each other. We are to bear with each other in our weaknesses and rejoice with each other in our victories. Above all, we are called to love. As I raise my children I want to maintain the perspective that the greatness of their lives will not be measured by their level of abilities but by their ability to love. My greatest dream for them both is that they will love Jesus, the Lover of their souls, with all that they are and that they will extend that love to those around them. This will be a life well-lived, a life to be cherished!