A few months back, my mom and I took a road trip to see my cousins in Missouri. The second night there, we stayed up late, talking. (We usually end up doing this at least once every time any of us visit. It’s my favorite part.) While we were talking, I realized just how much had happened to us all in the past years. My cousin (who is also the oldest of his siblings) and I realized that, for the most part, things have been happening to the people around us more than to us. We are the observers. We get to watch our family members go through the hardest battles they’ve ever had to fight.
He had to watch his sister miscarry while his wife was pregnant. He had to watch as his brother got into a motorcycle accident, was in a coma for 3 months, and is still (7 years later) slowly recovering. He had to watch his mother battle lung cancer and lose.
I had to watch my sister recover from a rape and find out she was pregnant. As soon as she started getting used to the idea, and even starting to welcome it, she lost the baby. I had to watch that same, unmarried, sister find out years later that she was accidentally pregnant with twins. I had to watch my mother deal with losing her sister and best friend, only a few short years after losing her mother. I have to watch my parents support 2+ families on one income. I had to watch my brother lose 2 people he was close to in a matter of months. I had to watch my baby brother learn how to navigate high school with Asperger’s Syndrome….
Sometimes I wonder where I get off complaining about IF and PCOS. I look at what my family has been through, and I realize that I got off easy (so far). Sometimes, though, I wonder if it’s maybe harder to have to stand back and watch the people I love suffer so much. Is it maybe a form of survivor’s guilt?
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I have a few prayer requests today as well:
~ My brother found out this weekend that he lost his friend to cancer. He was 26. His family had to have him cremated, because they couldn’t afford to do anything else. Please pray that God will give them strength to get through this terrible time.
~ A friend of mine went to an u/s today to find out that her baby stopped growing 2 weeks ago, at 6 weeks. She and her husband have been trying for so long to have a child, and they’ve already had to deal with a miscarriage previously.
~ The Hubs and I have some friends from church who are going through a hard time right now as well. They have had to deal with the loss of a grandmother on both sides of the family within the past month. Please pray that they will be able to find strength and comfort in each other.
Thank you.
He had to watch his sister miscarry while his wife was pregnant. He had to watch as his brother got into a motorcycle accident, was in a coma for 3 months, and is still (7 years later) slowly recovering. He had to watch his mother battle lung cancer and lose.
I had to watch my sister recover from a rape and find out she was pregnant. As soon as she started getting used to the idea, and even starting to welcome it, she lost the baby. I had to watch that same, unmarried, sister find out years later that she was accidentally pregnant with twins. I had to watch my mother deal with losing her sister and best friend, only a few short years after losing her mother. I have to watch my parents support 2+ families on one income. I had to watch my brother lose 2 people he was close to in a matter of months. I had to watch my baby brother learn how to navigate high school with Asperger’s Syndrome….
Sometimes I wonder where I get off complaining about IF and PCOS. I look at what my family has been through, and I realize that I got off easy (so far). Sometimes, though, I wonder if it’s maybe harder to have to stand back and watch the people I love suffer so much. Is it maybe a form of survivor’s guilt?
**************************************************
I have a few prayer requests today as well:
~ My brother found out this weekend that he lost his friend to cancer. He was 26. His family had to have him cremated, because they couldn’t afford to do anything else. Please pray that God will give them strength to get through this terrible time.
~ A friend of mine went to an u/s today to find out that her baby stopped growing 2 weeks ago, at 6 weeks. She and her husband have been trying for so long to have a child, and they’ve already had to deal with a miscarriage previously.
~ The Hubs and I have some friends from church who are going through a hard time right now as well. They have had to deal with the loss of a grandmother on both sides of the family within the past month. Please pray that they will be able to find strength and comfort in each other.
Thank you.