Lemonade Gives Me Indigestion

When blogging, or sharing information in any form, it's always a delicate line to walk knowing how much information and detail to share.  Especially when it concerns family - and even more so with your kids.  It is important that they be able to trust you - a safe place to share their fears, to whisper their dreams, scream their pain and confide their hopes.

So know that when I share this blog, I have asked Ashley's permission first.

We are in a tough place.  Tough as a mom and daughter.  Me letting go some.  Her finding independence while still needing mom and dad so much.    Tough as a pre-teen who wants to look and act and walk and talk like her friends.  Tough as a mom who sees her struggle.  Tough as a student who hates to take the extra steps to learn.  Tough as a teacher who requires those steps.  Tough as a human being in pain.  Tough as a mom who can't take the pain away.

Yeah, we have our "come to Jesus" moments.

Literally.

We have fought.  We have "discussed."  And then we have prayed.  Prayed alot.

Sometimes there are tears.  Sometimes just alot of sighs.

Basically we are left with this decision:  Do we let what satan has meant for evil destroy us or do we allow God to turn it to good?

Destruction is easy.  We can give up.  Sit in our corners.  Do nothing.

Good takes work.  It's painful.  It takes molding and finishing.  Scrubbing, polishing, knocking off rough spots.

Recently, one of our little friends had to take a trip to Children's Hospital in Denver.  She has suffered for a year with abdominal pain and it was time to seek a specialist.  Her greatest fear was having cancer.  To her little mind, a children's hospital meant cancer because of a little boy at school who was diagnosed with cancer last year.  Ashley was able to sit with her, take her on-line to the hospital's web-site and talk to her about how great the hospital was at helping all sorts of children.  Ashley told her how they helped her walk better.  How nice the doctor's were.  How great the gelato was at the coffee shop.  By the end of the evening, our little friend was feeling comfortable, if not a little excited, to go to Denver!

Good from evil.

I guess you are wondering where the title for this post came from.  Today while driving into town, Ashley and I discussed writing a book together.  A book to guide parents and children through the difficulties of disabilities;  through visiting hospitals;  through "come to Jesus" meetings.  I said we could name it, "Making Lemonade" from the saying, "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

But I don't like Lemonade, and I suggested that as a title:  "I Don't Like Lemonade."  It gives me indigestion.

Just the thought of making lemonade is bad.  It means something is cut, squeezed;  syrup is added to boiling water to create a syrup then the whole  mess is poured over ice.  A shock to anyone's system.  Not a great perspective.  The end product is nice, but getting there is tough!

"Lemonade Gives Me Indigestion" - we both laughed at the thought.

Now a new era of blogging begins.  Lemonade with Indigestion.  Writings on how we are coping as a family with this adventure called life.

Tonight, all I can say is:  Bring me a Diet  Coke!!!!!