A SILENT thought of sorrow 4/29/2015

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The days are counting down and we are about to experience and feel the love of our community. Many will come, some may not, all will be holding Archer close to their hearts this Friday evening, May 1st. The original blog post featured a slideshow of just a few of the silent auction items (50+) that have been donated by Archers community. His community is not just within the city limits of Dillon, it extends beyond the county line, and even the state line of Montana. We have had silent auction items sent across the Pacific ocean and from the mountains of Colorado and the plains of the mid-west. I'm sure if we combined hands we would reach across the world in a circle of prayer.

hands reaching for the stars

Our family has gained the strength from those around us. We have found courage to share our story. Now, we must be brave to explore into the world of raising a child with complex needs. We were raised in the Rocky Mountains for a reason, to learn that there are peaks and valleys, a natural occurrence, a life cycle that our emotions must run through also. Yes, it is hard to look out at other normally developing children and think about where Archer would line up running a muck with others his age. Brandon and I are both athletic, competitive people. We dreamed of the day we would play ball with our son. Yet, life has thrown us a curve ball that didn't quite cross home plate. We caught the foul ball, a blessing and we will not drown in sorrow. As we get answers our hearts are pinched and we watch Archer deviate further from the path of 'normal'. When you become a parent of a child with complex needs it gets harder and harder to hear the words 'I am sorry' we do not want pity upon our situation. We want praise for the added effort we have to put into each and every decision for Archer. No you may not even be able to fathom what it is like, some can, some set back a moment to imagine and are blown away when they hear Archer's daily routine. WE do get tired, Archer tires easily as he is putting in so much effort to connect his mind, body, and soul into expression. When you sit and observe this little bug of love you will find that he does not need sorrow, hold the sorrow in your heart silently, and choose to uplift him with positive energy as this is what he needs.

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