Feel the Fear….and be Authentic
Posted: July 9, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I celebrated 2 very special birthdays yesterday. One was for my 10-year-old nephew who is vibrant, funny, sweet, loving and full of energy. The second was for Baby Lincoln Ray – who lived for an hour and a half. His parents knew that he would most likely be with them for a very short time since they were informed a few months ago that he had Potter’s Syndrome. To sum it up, Baby Lincoln Ray didn’t develop kidneys. Without kidneys, a fetus cannot process amniotic fluid and then doesn’t develop lungs. Even though his mom and dad knew his fate months beforehand, they forged ahead – with hope.
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” –Sting
This has been a favorite quote of mine for years. I saw the living embodiment of that quote yesterday as I sat in the waiting room with dozens of others who were all praying for the same thing. A miracle. Baby Lincoln Ray was born….that was a major miracle. Many children who suffer Potter’s Syndrome don’t even make it that far. His parents could have chosen other “understandable” paths and they chose the one that many wouldn’t. While they were very pragmatic about the reality of the situation, they held out Hope right up until the end. It required so much strength and so much Faith. But if you ask them, they’ll tell you they weren’t that strong. They only did what they knew was right. If there was even a chance that the doctors were wrong, they had to believe that they would be able to meet their precious son. They may not have gotten the miracle they’d hoped for, but they got a miracle. They felt the fear and did it anyway.
If that isn’t Authentic, then I don’t know what is. Feel whatever fear you have and forge on. You might find your own miracle.
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I love you, Ellen! Thank you for being there for us and for attending Lincoln’s birthdate party. Just as he is my sunshine, so are you!!!!