Sunday December 18, 2005

Sunday December 18, 2005 I guess you’ve noticed by now that I am no longer posting every day. I am trying to get adjusted to our new normal, we are busy with Christmas festivities and I don’t always have something to say so I plan to post several days at one
time. Friday Zack said goodbye to Scott (his OT therapist student). He and Scott had
really bonded but he took it well. He told me he was going to be leaving soon anyway to go back to Christian Academy. Kara, Trey and Dani stopped by Friday when Zack got home from Frazier. We traded pictures from the concert and our trip to Nashville. Before long Nick, Matt and several others dropped by for a short visit. I am pleased that his friends still come by to see him and feel comfortable at our house. By 7:00 Zack and I picked up Kaitlyn and Alexa and they went to the movies. They had planned to get something to eat afterwards and wanted to go to BW3’s. I was concerned about the second hand smoke (which can cause seizures after a brain injury) so I told Kaitlyn she needed to check things out before they decided to stay. Fortunately they ate and were ready to leave before their scheduled pick up time. Zack told me he had a really good time but was ready for bed.
Saturday Zack woke up excited about the UofL vs UofK game. Trey was having several people over to watch the game and Zack was anxious to see his friends even though many
of them would be cheering against his team, UofL. He knew there would be several girls there so he got dressed up for the occasion (in a suit jacket). He called me several times during the game and told me how disappointed he was in the way they were playing. He came home after the game and took a short nap before we headed to my family’s Christmas party. Zack was looking forward to it because the clubhouse where we were going had a golf simulator room and he wanted to try it out. Scott was not feeling well and had to stay home so Zack was planning on figuring it out by himself. My sister Karen was in from Virginia and hadn’t seen Zack since September. Several of my nieces and nephews hadn’t seen him in at least that long so everyone was amazed at how well he was doing. Before long the guys were playing golf and Zack was having a great time with his cousins. Periodically he would find me throughout the evening and tell me what
was going on. He told me he missed his Dad and wished he could have been there. He had an interesting, blunt conversation (and pretty funny although she might not have thought so) with his seventeen year old cousin who just had a baby. Whatever he is thinking is likely to be voiced. He sat with my Mom (Nana, who is almost 88 and not in good health) and talked with her about Christmas. We took lots of pictures and Zack told me later that this could be the last Christmas Nana is with us. Before the night was over he was in the car with several of his cousins listening to music. He came to me at 9:00 and said he was tired and ready to leave. I told him to give me a little more time and he looked at the clock and reminded me that he needed to get to bed because he had church tomorrow. I packed up a plate of desserts for Scott and headed home.
Sunday morning I fixed pancakes and since Scott was feeling better he got Zack to his high school worship. Sitting in church Sunday morning listening to Christmas music I was overcome with emotion. I needed Kleenex so I got up to go to the ladies room. Walking up the aisle I pass Bob Russle (senior minister) and he stops me. He tells me how happy he is to hear Zack is doing so well and we sure have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. I agree and hurry out the door. In the bathroom overcome with emotion I break down in tears. We are blessed beyond belief this Christmas. Not only do we have Zack with us but he is an amazing, special person. Not just alive but full of life. He is happy, funny, mysteriously innocent and yet definitely a teenager. I return to my seat unable to sing. I listen to the sermon and my mind wanders to events over the past five months. As soon as the service is over I jump from my seat, hurry to the door anxious to find Zack waiting for us in the atrium. And there he is, smiling as he comes to put his arm around me. He asks to ride with his Dad so they can get something to eat. Later as I am with the girls at a birthday party Zack calls me to say he has a “proposition for the evening”. He doesn’t want to go to church which surprises me. He said, “You know I love church and it was good this morning but I just want to go to eat and be with my family”. I tell him that sounds wonderful and it would only be Mom, Dad, Dylan and him since the girls would still be at their party. We meet at BW3’s and decide it’s too smoky so we move to Wicks Pizza. We enjoy a quiet dinner just the four of us and on the way home we listen to his Grits CD. He stops the music at one point and tells me I really need to talk to his school about him getting his drivers license. When we get home he gets on the computer and is looking up information on Ky. Drivers license written test.
I don’t think he is ready to take the test but it is not up to me anyway. I promise him that I will call Frazier in the morning and talk to Suzanne (O.T. therapist). Before long he has given up trying to get the information off the computer and is downstairs playing pool with Dylan. He comes up to tell me good night and is asleep at 10:00.
Looking over the last three days and understanding what problems we could be facing (or for that matter the issues every parent of teenagers deal with on a daily basis) you can see how tremendously blessed we are. God has rescued us from tragedy and placed us just this side of heaven. We recognize that there will be issues to deal with in the future but God has not put us in this situation alone. He is always present and we feel him in Zack’s smile. May all of you have a blessed Christmas and share in our special joy this year. Please continue praying for complete recovery.