Welcome home Brady.
It’s true what they say, there is no place like home.
Home.
It is a place to heal.
A place to rest.
A place for love to be felt.
A place for joy to be shared.
We have had 48 hours home now. Somehow everything feels oddly normal.
Chris and I have been in constant motion trying to sort through and organize from the month of life that happened while we were away with Brady.
We both feel so exhausted. Not only has it been tiring trying to unpack, but the emotional toll from everything we just walked through has started to be felt as well.
But, we are in the homestretch. Only some errands to run and final organizing in the garage and we will be good as new.
A funny thing happened Tuesday night on our way home from Philly.
Brady decided he wanted to go to school this week.
And if you have been following our journey for a while then you know that we are big on saying “yes” whenever we can.
We believe letting Brady do or play as much as he wants is vital to his mental health.
You want to go to school? Absolutely!
You want to play soccer? Gain another pound then yes!
You want to play baseball? Put on a few more pounds then go for it!
Last year he didn’t miss a single training session or soccer game the entire season despite being so weak following his transplant.
Soccer made him better.
He wanted desperately to play baseball so he advocated for himself and got cleared to join his team.
Baseball made him stronger.
He begged to go to school before some of his doctors in Columbus thought it was ok. We knew it was what he needed so we let him go.
School made him happier.
So on Tuesday we got home a little after 7pm and 12 hours later he had his book bag packed, lunch made, breakfast eaten and in the car headed to school with Blake and Aubrey.
Most kids go back to school excited to share what they got for Christmas or the people they got to see over break.
Then, there is Brady.
“What did you do over Christmas break?”
“Ummm you know, just working on beating cancer, again.”
Two and half weeks ago he struggled to communicate with us. And today he completed his second full day of school followed by a super awesome visit with some of our dearest friends.
That’s why we say yes. We don’t ever put limitations or bubbles around him because we feel so deeply that being a normal kid is what is going to keep him strong. Keep him fighting. Keep him winning this cancer battle.
And the Lord knows, most of the battles of our flesh are won and lost because of our ability, or inability, to believe we are strong enough to win them.
The disciples didn’t reach the world with the message of the Good News by staying in one place.
Nope. They had to go. They had to leave their tiny bubble in the Upper Room. They had to walk out of that place and share what they had witnessed and were taught.
The first time Peter preached in the book of Acts following Jesus’s ascension into Heaven, 3,000 people were baptized.
3,000.
Incredible things happen when you step outside your bubble.
So here is to pushing beyond our limits.
To bursting the bubble of what is comfortable.
To winning every mental and physical battle we are faced with.
Shields up.
Swords out.
Feeling a victory,
Kristin
“Those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
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