"Ornament giver"

This is probably the most random post I have ever written, but I was looking back at my blog book tonight and saw this picture. It is a silly wood ornament that Drake colored for Christmas when he was 2. I have thought about this ornament so many times over the past years, and it means so much more to me than a homemade ornament worth a quarter.

Families from our church brought us dinner a few times a week after we returned home from the hospital with Laynie after her trach. It was by far the hardest time of my life, and I was literally drowning!!! I wouldn't admit it at the same, but looking back I have NO clue how we all made it through.

Anyways, someone brought us dinner (they were new in our church and I don't even remember their name) and the lady also brought this ornament and said, "My kids were decorating these today and I thought your son would like one." I know I sound so crazy, but that lady will never know what she did for me!!! We had received all sorts of wonderful acts of kindness over the months prior, but this is the one thing that I look back on and stands out the most. She didn't know that I was feeling so guilty and horrible about not being able to give Drake the attention that he deserved. All my energy was spent on keeping Laynie alive at that time. It made me so happy to be able to sit down with Drake for a few minutes and help him color this ornament. No one will ever understand this, but it made me feel like someone was thinking of him too, not just Laynie. He was going through a major change in his life too and I was so afraid that we would put him second because Laynie needed so much. I really think siblings of special needs children are very special too- they deal with a lot!!!

I often think of times when I can be the "ornament giver" to someone else. Whenever someone needs some help I have a hard time knowing what I can do to help and sadly most of the time I do nothing because I don't know what to do. Bringing a meal or cookies often comes to my mind, but I want to do something that means more... like the ornament!!! Anyways this post is so random, but it has inspired me to do something more at times when I can help!!!

You never know when a simple kind thing can mean so much to someone:)