Wink from Heaven: On purpose

Sunday, March 21, 2010

On purpose

Tonight as I was caring for Caleb,
he woke up and smiled!
Then he reached out to me
with one arm and hand
ON PURPOSE!
I know it!
It wasn't a stretch.
It wasn't seizure activity.
He was trying to touch me.
And he did.
In more ways than one.

16 comments:

Becky said...: These sweet little boys know just the right way to touch our hearts. What a treasured moment.; March 21, 2010 at 8:57 PM
Tara Bennett said...: That is so special, it gave me chills! Caleb is reciprocating all the loving touches you've given him. What a very beautiful moment!; March 21, 2010 at 9:35 PM
Janene Baadsgaard said...: Oh April, I'm so glad you had that moment. I've had those kind of moments with Caleb and I'll never forget them.; March 21, 2010 at 10:19 PM
Rubypat said...: What a thrill - that is one precious boy you have!; March 22, 2010 at 12:11 AM
Anonymous said...: What a special moment ♥; March 22, 2010 at 1:36 AM
Brad and Hailey said...: That's great! I'm so excited for you!; March 22, 2010 at 5:51 AM
Lacey said...: It makes me crazy when doctors say they will not survive and they will not do anything. Haven't they learned by now that our kido's always prove them wrong?!; March 22, 2010 at 7:46 AM
Junior said...: such a special moment; March 22, 2010 at 8:10 AM
The Marrott Family said...: How sweet! They know when we need just a bit of encouragement, and I think every child does this in his or her own way. I guess its their way of saying "I love you mom, you can do it!"; March 22, 2010 at 8:43 AM
Devon said...: April, that's awesome!!!!; March 22, 2010 at 9:22 AM
Krista said...: Those little tender mercies are what make it all worth it...how special.; March 22, 2010 at 10:32 AM
Emily said...: It's moments like those that keep me putting one foot in front of the other. Sure love you!; March 22, 2010 at 8:14 PM
arianne said...: What a priceless moment. I'm glad you share it with us.; March 25, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Kel said...: That is the very best post I have read in a long, long time. It gave me chills too. I'm elated, and I'm not even you! What incredible love.; March 28, 2010 at 9:27 PM
mindi said...: so sweet. love you guys.; April 2, 2010 at 11:00 PM
Jen said...: What a beautiful post!; April 15, 2010 at 6:19 PM

Prayer for Caleb

(written by Caleb's Grandma in her weekly column -2008-)

In my family we have a secret code to communicate our love for each other when we are out in public. We wink. When one of us is about to perform or speak, we look for a family member’s face in the crowd. Then we wink at each other. Closing one eye and winking is our secret code for saying, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

About three years ago, my grandson Caleb was born into our family. He must have known before birth that he would never be able to speak to us because he was born with one eyelid permanently closed. So, he is always “winking” at us, always communicating, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

Caleb has one eye lid permanently closed because he is missing one of his eyes . . . and he is also missing his brain. All the doctors said he would die soon after birth. They were wrong. Caleb is three years old. He is a medical miracle. The doctors say he can’t see, hear, speak, think or move. Those who know and love Caleb understand he has his own unique way of experiencing the world and communicating his love to those around him.

After Caleb was born the hospice people told us to buy a burial plot and continually warned us of his imminent death. We soon learned you can not live well in a state of fear and sadness. We decided we could spend Caleb’s entire life anxious and scared he might die at any moment, or we could celebrate each day we were blessed to have him with us. In the beginning, my daughter April celebrated Caleb’s birthday every week instead of every year with balloons and cupcakes because we simply did not know how long we would have him with us. We stopped the cupcakes after we gained ten pounds, but the celebrating goes on.

We all prayed for a miracle when we first learned about Caleb’s condition. We got one. Caleb’s birth, life and mission have had a deep and lasting impact on our lives. His spirit, eternal identity and most of all the loving, individual relationship he has with each of us is truly a miracle. Because of Caleb we know that each of us has a divine purpose and that the physical body is a sacred gift we should never take for granted. We better understand the worth of a soul and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Caleb’s five year old brother Matthew said, “Grandma. The doctors said Caleb was going to die, but he didn’t. That’s the first miracle I ever saw!”

Sometimes Caleb’s baby brother Mitchell pulls out his feeding tube while they hold hands riding together in their double stroller. Sometimes the only intervention that can get Caleb’s heart rate up is when his older brothers Josh and Matty crawl in his crib, hug him and sing, “I am a Child of God.” ...If you have a moment please offer a prayer for the little boy who has never been able to utter a single word and yet has taught everyone who knows and loves him – all the secrets of a rich and meaningful life.