My children gave me away this summer – I got remarried. At toasting time, my daughter Ali got so emotional she couldn’t finish her speech, so her big brother Ben put his arm around her, gently took the microphone, and finished for her. He began with, “First of all, Mom, you look so beautiful tonight”, and the entire room burst out in applause. Ben’s toast was one of our favorite memories from the wedding, especially because he rescued his sister when she couldn’t go on.
Ben is not “supposed to” care about others. He has paranoid schizophrenia. But he does. He is full of love, and we are grateful for his presence. Our family lives in the moment; there are, thankfully, many moments to treasure. We know, all too well, that tomorrow could bring change. Still, we have found hope and love that we once thought might be lost forever.
I am so grateful. There was a time I never imagined I'd have such a gift; there was a time, way before that, when I took its possibility for granted.
