Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

[Guest guest]

Michele~

I love it!

in Ma.

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Michele, I hope you save all of these and write a book - seriously.

>

> Mom on a Mission: Hoping for Trust and Gratitude

>

> To outsiders, the lives of children with disabilities can look very bleak

> for the children and their families. People wonder how we can cope with

> such dreary circumstances. ly, there are days when we wonder how we

> will cope.

>

> Recently, a friend came upon such a day. She's known since birth that her

> nearly 2-year-old daughter is profoundly deaf. But the other day, final

> MRI

> results revealed that she has no auditory nerves -- crushing any hopes of

> a

> cochlear implant or other kind of hearing assistance. My friend felt

> sideswiped by grief as she suddenly realized how tightly she'd been

> holding

> on to the hope of some intervention to bring her daughter sound.

>

> Thus began a profound conversation about hope and grief, expectations and

> trust. I used to think that hope would get us through tough times. But now

> I think hope may be a dangerous place to hang your hat.

>

> Consider my friend's daughter. Her hearing is the same as it's always

> been.

> The only thing that changed is her parents' awareness of what that is.

> Each

> time we get bad news about our children's condition, nothing has really

> changed - just our knowledge of it. Our knowing or not knowing usually

> will

> not stop what is to be. The grief is not about a new condition or

> situation; it is about our lost hopes.

>

> When hopes are really expectations of how things should and will be, we

> are

> setting ourselves up for grief when those expectations are not met. We

> have

> no control over how things will be. The future will unfold as it is meant

> to - regardless of our " shoulds " , expectations, and hopes.

>

> So what do we do with our hope? We use hope as a compass to direct our

> path

> and give substance to our vision. But we temper precarious hope with

> gratitude and trust. Trust that whatever comes will be just as it must be.

> Trust that we will endure any trial that comes our way. Trust that for

> everything that appears bad, there is goodness on the underside. Gratitude

> for that good -- for the new understandings and insights that can be found

> under very obstacle and tragedy in our path. Gratitude for the wonderful

> gift that is our child.

>

> When we find ourselves weary and stooped under the weight of our worries,

> when our instinct is to hold tightly to hope with eyes clenched shut and a

> white-knuckled grip, our despair can be lifted with a combination of trust

> and gratitude. Open your eyes, soften your grip, trust, allow, and be

> thankful for what is.

>

> Michele Westmaas is a mom, a wife, and an advocate for people with

> disabilities.

>

> Contact Michele by email at

momonamission@....

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That's the plan. But how many does it take to create a book? I guess I'll

know when I get there. I'd also like to do motivational/informational

speeches. We'll see where this new path leads.

Michele W

_____

From: CHARGE [mailto:CHARGE ] On Behalf Of

Weir

Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 10:32 AM

To: CHARGE

Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

Michele, I hope you save all of these and write a book - seriously.

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure Michele; a good friend of mine has always written these little

" 100-Word-Stories " and he just got his first book published with one hundred

100-Word Stories, so maybe that's a number to think about. I just think

it'd be criminal not to publish these for a bigger market.

>

> That's the plan. But how many does it take to create a book? I guess

> I'll

> know when I get there. I'd also like to do motivational/informational

> speeches. We'll see where this new path leads.

>

> Michele W

>

> _____

>

> From: CHARGE [mailto:

> CHARGE ] On Behalf Of

> Weir

> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 10:32 AM

> To: CHARGE

> Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

>

> Michele, I hope you save all of these and write a book - seriously.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'd also like to have them published in other periodicals - as in newspapers

and magazines. Don't know how to do that either. It's in my local paper

because we are small, rural and it's easy to get printed - no pay, of

course.

Michele

_____

From: CHARGE [mailto:CHARGE ] On Behalf Of

Weir

Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 3:28 PM

To: CHARGE

Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

I'm not sure Michele; a good friend of mine has always written these little

" 100-Word-Stories " and he just got his first book published with one hundred

100-Word Stories, so maybe that's a number to think about. I just think

it'd be criminal not to publish these for a bigger market.

On 6/11/07, Michele Westmaas

verizon.net> wrote:

>

> That's the plan. But how many does it take to create a book? I guess

> I'll

> know when I get there. I'd also like to do motivational/informational

> speeches. We'll see where this new path leads.

>

> Michele W

>

> _____

>

> From: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) com

[mailto:

> CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) com

] On Behalf Of

> Weir

> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 10:32 AM

> To: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) com

> Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

>

> Michele, I hope you save all of these and write a book - seriously.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I would contact (or have someone at your newspaper contact) someone at

Exceptional Parent magazine, for starters.

They don't have to say much, just send an article or two you've written and

let them speak for themselves.

>

> I'd also like to have them published in other periodicals - as in

> newspapers

> and magazines. Don't know how to do that either. It's in my local paper

> because we are small, rural and it's easy to get printed - no pay, of

> course.

>

> Michele

>

> _____

>

> From: CHARGE [mailto:

> CHARGE ] On Behalf Of

> Weir

> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 3:28 PM

> To: CHARGE

> Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

>

> I'm not sure Michele; a good friend of mine has always written these

> little

> " 100-Word-Stories " and he just got his first book published with one

> hundred

> 100-Word Stories, so maybe that's a number to think about. I just think

> it'd be criminal not to publish these for a bigger market.

>

>

> On 6/11/07, Michele Westmaas

verizon.net> wrote:

> >

> > That's the plan. But how many does it take to create a book? I guess

> > I'll

> > know when I get there. I'd also like to do motivational/informational

> > speeches. We'll see where this new path leads.

> >

> > Michele W

> >

> > _____

> >

> > From: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoogroups.com>

> com

> [mailto:

> > CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoogroups.com> com

> ] On Behalf Of

> > Weir

> > Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 10:32 AM

> > To: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoogroups.com>

> com

>

> > Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

> >

> > Michele, I hope you save all of these and write a book - seriously.

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

michelle how wonderful how true love u heaps

>

> I keep intending to contact EP, but never do. Perhaps today is the day.

>

> Michele

>

> _____

>

> From: CHARGE [mailto:

> CHARGE ] On Behalf Of

> Weir

> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 3:47 PM

> To: CHARGE

> Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

>

> I would contact (or have someone at your newspaper contact) someone at

> Exceptional Parent magazine, for starters.

> They don't have to say much, just send an article or two you've written

> and

> let them speak for themselves.

>

>

> On 6/11/07, Michele Westmaas

verizon.net> wrote:

> >

> > I'd also like to have them published in other periodicals - as in

> > newspapers

> > and magazines. Don't know how to do that either. It's in my local paper

> > because we are small, rural and it's easy to get printed - no pay, of

> > course.

> >

> > Michele

> >

> > _____

> >

> > From: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoogroups.com>

> com

> [mailto:

> > CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoogroups.com> com

> ] On Behalf Of

> > Weir

> > Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 3:28 PM

> > To: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoogroups.com>

> com

>

> > Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

> >

> > I'm not sure Michele; a good friend of mine has always written these

> > little

> > " 100-Word-Stories " and he just got his first book published with one

> > hundred

> > 100-Word Stories, so maybe that's a number to think about. I just think

> > it'd be criminal not to publish these for a bigger market.

> >

> >

> > On 6/11/07, Michele Westmaas

> verizon.net> wrote:

> > >

> > > That's the plan. But how many does it take to create a book? I guess

> > > I'll

> > > know when I get there. I'd also like to do motivational/informational

> > > speeches. We'll see where this new path leads.

> > >

> > > Michele W

> > >

> > > _____

> > >

> > > From: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoog

> roups.com>

> > com

> > [mailto:

> > > CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoog

> roups.com> com

> > ] On Behalf Of

> > > Weir

> > > Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 10:32 AM

> > > To: CHARGE (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) 40yahoog

> roups.com>

> > com

> >

> > > Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

> > >

> > > Michele, I hope you save all of these and write a book - seriously.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Ellen-

Thanks! Love back to you --

Michele W

_____

From: CHARGE [mailto:CHARGE ] On Behalf Of

ellen howe

Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:50 AM

To: CHARGE

Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

michelle how wonderful how true love u heaps

[Guest guest]

Ellen-

Thanks! Love back to you --

Michele W

_____

From: CHARGE [mailto:CHARGE ] On Behalf Of

ellen howe

Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:50 AM

To: CHARGE

Subject: Re: June 2007 Mom on a Mission Column

michelle how wonderful how true love u heaps

[Guest guest]

Michele,

I haven't been participating here lately as we've had a lot going on. 3 weeks

ago, 2 close friends were involved in a devastating car accident. 5 people were

killed, including my friends' 21 year old daughter. My friend, a, was in a

coma for about a week and is about as broken physically that a person can

be.Also her 1 year old grandson sustained only a broken leg.

The talk about grief, despair and hope has somewhat helped me to deal with this

tragedy. If you don't mind I'm going to print your article and save it for my

friend. As broken as she is physically, I'm afraid for her emotional health. I

feel that in time, your article may be of some comfort . As it not only applies

to those of us that have had our dreams broken by illnesses, but everyone that

has faced bottomless despair.

Jeanie

[Guest guest]

Jeanie-

I just wanna cry for your friend - and for all of us who understand that

devastation. How wonderful for her to have a friend like you waiting in the

wings to lift her up. I'm honored that you think my column may be helpful.

Hugs-

Michele W