Tomorrow is my twenty ninth birthday, a birthday that twenty nine years ago every specialist at Children's Hospital agreed that I would never live to see. They had such little faith that I would survive to see my first birthday that they encouraged my parents to leave me at the hospital to be cared for until my death and go home to have another healthy child. I am forever thankful that my mother and father, facing those circumstances, refused to give up on me. I am forever thankful that God had far greater plans than those doctors could see, plans that have included a life rich in treasures and adventures and the joy of loving others and being loved. I am thankful for the wisdom of twenty nine years, and sometimes what seems like a lifetime more, and the opportunity to be educated by some of the most amazing children God ever created. I am thankful for learning early in life to live in each moment and to take nothing for granted. I am thankful that I also learned early the true measures of wealth in a life, and that none involve dollars and cents. I am thankful for my abundant blessings and for another year to live, to laugh, to cry, to share, to dream, to hope, to pray, to make memories, to grow, to learn, to love.

This past weekend was the family Christmas activities for my father's family. A tradition of sorts has been established that each year the families gather at a hotel that has a swimming pool (easy entertainment for the kids grown and not) for the weekend. We have a big family meal on one day and then a smaller get together the other day for presents and such. This year the chosen hotel was just one town away from where I live, so the original plan was for me to spend the day with everyone and come back home at night. However, my stepsister's husband had to work and so she invited me to join her and her kids in their hotel room. It was a wonderful weekend where my braces and wheelchair and crutches were insignificant, where no one treated me any different and where I could just be a part of a family celebration. It was just assumed that I would be included rather than looking at obstacles and thinking it would be too much work. I have not always been close to my stepsister and brother, or to my stepmom, especially when I was growing up but they have genuinely formed a family that cares about me and accepts me and is protective of me without limiting me and that just gets that in spite of all the medical stuff I am still Bethany. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to swim so much, as in water I can move my muscles so much easier than I can in any other situation. I do cheat and use a flotation belt because I struggle to maintain balance and to hold my legs up when swimming, but the difference in motion is amazing. In the pool I could participate in all of the fooling around and playing without struggling with my wheelchair. I was able to play with my nieces in an environment that was without barriers. On Saturday evening, the spa was cooler than usual so I was able to safely sit in the warm water and place my feet in front of one of the jets for what was an incredible "massage" that helped to loosen up my muscles.
Two funny stories. The first involves being completely and inappropriately dressed for an occasion. At the hotel, the swimming pool was directly next to a large conference room (actually it connected through sliding glass doors and could be opened up so the pool and room were connected). As we were swimming Saturday morning, complete with children splashing and jumping into the pool and shouting and being kids (and some adult males being kids with them), we discovered that a funeral memorial service was being held in that room directly next door. Now, not only was it bad planning to place a somber event next to the pool the weekend before Christmas but the only way from the pool back to our room was either to go up a flight of stairs and across the upper floor then down a flight of stairs (um, apparently the wheelchair was not a clue to the hotel staff that this plan was not a reasonable option) or to go right through the buffet area for the funeral. So not only did we have to parade soaking wet, in flipflops or little bare feet through the somber set up but my swimsuit cover up? A nice wrap with brightly colored skulls and cross bones all over it. I have now officially crashed a funeral in my swimsuit and a skull and cross bone cover-up.
Second story requires some background knowledge. Last week my stepsister graduated from nursing school. Awesome! My dad and stepmom obviously went out to her graduation. I forgot what day her graduation was and so when I had a toilet emergency on that day I called them to see if they happened to have a plunger I could borrow. As soon as I called, I realized where they were and that from 3 hours away they were not going to be able to help me out. They actually did help me through a call to a friend who lives in the same apartment complex who hunted down a plunger for me, and all it cost me was some embarrassment. So yesterday while we were opening presents my dad and stepmom announced that they had a very special present for me. With a large red and green bow on top and red ribbon curling around it I was presented with a plunger complete with a tag reading "In Case of Emergency". I had to laugh, and everyone who knew the saga laughed along with me. So now when I am asked what I got for Christmas I can proudly say "a plunger!". :)
Tomorrow I am going over to my Mom's to spend Christmas with her and then on Saturday we are going to my Aunt's house for Christmas with my Mom's family. I am more nervous about that event because no one from her family has seen me or interacted with me in person since I became sick with whatever this dystonia/progressive spastic paraparesis/unknown syndrome is. I just want people to treat me like me and not be uncomfortable or all weird because of the chair and the changes in my life. But I am so excited to be celebrating Christmas with far greater health than last year, and not desperately ill and an 11 day inpatient stay right up until late on December 23. And I can even eat all of the Holiday foods this year too!! What a difference a year makes!! I am so blessed!