Dinner with new friends

Near the end of April, Jessica's Aunt Gerry came to visit.  Back in January, she had tickets to come 2 days after we found out about Caroline's condition, so she rescheduled her trip. She was a great help around the house with a whole lot of cooking and some babysitting, and we even got to thank her with an early birthday celebration right before she left.

One of the babysitting nights allowed the two of us to have dinner with another couple (Ben and Lynn) who had a similar experience in 2013 when their son James was diagnosed with Potter's Syndrome. A month earlier, Jessica shared some time with Lynn and had a mother-to-mother talk about carrying a terminally ill child.  That night at dinner, Tom was able to finally get to meet Ben, to hear a dad perspective, and share some of the practical things they experienced that we could expect. Even with such a heavy topic, the dinner seamlessly brought four people together in effortless conversation, as if our families were meant to meet.  As we shared about our interactions with our care providers and institutions - many of whom they worked with - Ben and Lynn enjoyed hearing the new ways they've shown understanding and focus on caring for families like us.

They provided a more personal (as opposed to medical) presentation of some of the roughest experiences to come, and shared some things they had done that were different than our plan. While they had scheduled an induction date, Lynn went into labor the day before, which Ben saw as the greatest blessing in a sad situation. We all shared the tough realities that come with deciding an induction date under these circumstances, and the peace and blessings from leaving it in God's hands.

We noticed how, even for such a short life, James has had a tremendous impact - not only on their family, but even now that he's impacting ours. Like ripples on a pond, James has cast a wide ring. We're just one ripple among many. We hope that Caroline's legacy would also have such a similar and long-lasting effect, and that it would also carry on to someone in the future.

Overall, amidst the pain and suffering they experienced, we could feel God's presence in their story, and we were reminded that even in the most challenging times, He's always present. Without the storm, we don't get to experience the calming presence He can bring. This year, one of God's gifts to us was Ben and Lynn (and their family). We are so grateful for them and for their encouragement throughout our journey.  They are now part of our story.