At the right time, at the right place, God will show up. Do not give up now.
Gift Gugu Mona
I told myself that when I started working again, I would only drink on the weekends, since mg work-free summer consisted of most nights with glasses of wine (or an occasional bottle).
So last night was my first drink after starting the new job on Monday. To treat myself, I stopped at Whole Foods and got my favorite- Pizzolato Organic Cabernet- and properly paired with pizza and a side of flavored sparkling water. It was also accompanied by a very quiet session of family time, as everyone zoned out in front of the TV and their screens, with the furry one chewing a bone.
It was clear that we were all tired from the week and needed this time to relax and recover from the unusual busyness and routine changes that we all endured.
With each sip of wine, I reflected on the last few months, and focused on how things ended up working out in a way that I could have never been able to predict.
How did a Child Life Specialist position at the local children's hospital become available with the same month that we moved into a rental home less than a mile away?
I thought about this every day as I walked the 0.7 miles from our house to the hospital, and even also in moments after connecting with my new teammates and colleagues.
In my nearly eight years as a Child Life Specialist, I have never worked at a stand-alone children's hospital or alongside more than two other Child Life Specialists, so this position alone is a new experience for me.
As I've responded to my family and friends that have asked about the new job, it's all very different, especially as I'm used to wearing many more hats and covering multiple areas and every pediatric patient on my own, but I truly believe that this is all for the best.
It just feels like I'm exactly where I need to be for this chapter of my life.
In saying that, I'll fully admit that this week has been challenging in other ways. Actually, the last few weeks have been a struggle as my husband's symptoms continually flare and are much more apparent and concerning than they have been in recent months.
If I'm being honest, his current status makes me wonder even more if all of this was part of a divine coordinated plan and I'm just not really aware of the behind-the-scenes work.
Out of all that I've come to learn, which has been more than a lot, I know that this whole journey of ours has been outside of our control. From our unexpected beginning, the chronic neurological and systemic symptoms that his body has suffered, the many dismissals from medical professionals, and ultimate loss of a "normal life" and future hopes and dreams, my constant reflections remind me that there is nothing that we could have done differently.
Our story is just one of many who have faced these unfair challenges, but something keeps making me believe: There's still more to come and I am exactly where I am supposed to be in the present moment.
But for now, I do believe that I'm finally where I need to be, and maybe even where I'm meant to. Maybe all of what we've been through was guiding me to this place, in this moment.
I have to believe that, not only because I feel it within but also because it helps this all make more sense.