Gracie’s Walk

I sit here trying to get reports done for work and can’t stop thinking about what I should post to start with on Gracie’s blog. My husband did such a wonderful job with the introduction to Gracie’s page yesterday, and he is truly very talented.

Since we were discharged from the hospital on Monday, the past few days have been just a whirlwind of activity and it’s hard to even remember what day it is today. Between trying to adhere to a new feeding schedule, watching for seizures, a plethora of medications, learning how to operate new medical equipment, consulting with hospice visitors and doctors on a daily basis, as well as reconfiguring the nursery and bathrooms to accommodate her needs, I have also tried to slowly get back into the office and focus more on the work that I truly love. That got me thinking about other things I truly love and what things I think that Gracie will truly begin to love as she grows and develops.

What do you love to do? For us, as a family, one thing that we are so happy to have back is our evening walk together. Each night, either before or after dinner, my husband, Gracie, and Bodie the beagle set out to walk around our neighborhood. We never truly realized how much we treasured this time together until it was gone. In the hospital we truly missed this time dearly. My husband would come home in late evenings and try and walk the dog by himself while Gracie and I stayed at the hospital and this was a very sad time for him since we couldn’t join him.

Last evening, we took our first walk together since being home from the hospital. Brien kept saying how happy and overjoyed he was to be walking again together. He must have repeated himself five or six times over the course of the walk! We walked by one yard where the yard was being mowed and suddenly, the smell of the fresh cut grass was just very evident to me. I never realized how much I loved this smell, it was heavenly, and I wondered why I never noticed before. Each day, I am slowing realizing that little things mean a lot, and although I don’t notice a lot of little things, I try and now make it a point to notice at least one every day.

I think Gracie is also good at noticing the little things that give us pleasure in life. Yesterday, for the first time, she stayed awake through the entire walk. Usually, the lull of the stroller puts her right to sleep, but yesterday she remained wide-eyed and alert. She even made a few cute baby noises that brought smiles to our faces. Perhaps she too, enjoyed the smell of fresh cut grass or just being out in the fresh air. Or, perhaps she also missed these walks as much as we did.

So, through this blog, each week, Gracie will ask you to do something for her. It may be something that you already do each day, something you have never done, or maybe something you’ve done in the past but haven’t done it lately. Little suggestions on small things that you may enjoy and may also help you love your life just a little bit more. This week, Gracie asks you to take a walk with her on some evening, look around for something new and different that you maybe never noticed before. She looks forward to hearing your comments on the wonderful things you encounter on your journey with her.