State of Grace

It is raining and storming today. I am "stuck" in the house with the three children, but I am grateful. We are together today, happy and healthy. Yet, I am thinking of another mom, Holly McRae, who faces a very different situation every day. What she wouldn't give to be stuck in the house with all her children, healthy and happy, today. And I know, her story is but one of many. I practice mindfulness for these mothers...instead of the incessant "mama, mama, mama" from my children grating on me, I use each request to breathe and say a prayer for them and remember that we live in a state of grace. Accept each moment and treasure our time for the gift it is.


Holly & Kate's story: June 29, 2009 has forever changed our family. The day continues to bring a torrent of emotions as we recall it, and yet we pray that one day we will recall it knowing it changed us but did not defeat us. It was a Monday where I, Kate's mom, was going to take our 3 kids Olivia 7, Kate 5 1/2, and Will 4 to the water park. A day of celebrating summer. Plans changed quickly as I noticed that a slight tremor in Kate's right hand over the past three days had notably worsened.

We made an appointment to her Pediatrician. Early evening we were headed to Phoenix Children's Hospital for a stat CT of Kate's head. I patiently filled our Kate's kindergarten application as we waited to be released after the CT. We however would not be released. Rather 3 people came out to tell me that our little Kate had a large mass on her brain.

Our world stopped.

You can never prepare fully for a moment where one sentence changes everything. We were emergently admitted to PICU and began the battle for Kate's life.

There are no words possible to describe how difficult this journey has been. Our hearts saddened to a point we didn't know existed. And yet, we are fully prepared to walk this and fight with Kate every step of the way.

We believe strongly in the power of prayer. We know none of this has caught our God off guard. And He is fully capable of healing our daughter.

Love, Holly & Aaron Mcrae

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Posted by The Editor.