Family Crisis

My family cutting down our Christmas tree (2013) and trying to decide how to get it on the car

        This week we learned about what happens when a family has a Crisis. This was a very interesting and thought provoking lesson. My teacher talked about how stress actually strengthens us. Take our bones for example: if we do not put any pressure or stress on them, then they become fragile and weak. This is what happens to us if we are not put under stress, personally and as a family as well. We need these stressors in our lives to make us grow together more and handle things in a more appropriate way. A stress that was brought up was losing a family member. My teacher talked a lot about how he lost two brothers in his family. I had a similar experience.

        In June of 2000 my brother Benjamin was born. We were told that he would live for maybe 5 minutes because of a heart condition, so we were right outside waiting after my mom had him. He had the most hair any of us had seen on a baby that was born 3 weeks premature. It was golden and curly. We knew that God had sent him to our family for a reason, but we just didn’t know quite yet. I was 9 years old at the time. We all got to hold him pretty quickly right off the bat just so we could all have time to hold him, but then a miracle happened: he didn’t die. We all held him and loved him and cried when he was close to us. We got to take him home, which was the biggest blessing we ever could have asked for. He lived for a total of 5 days, which were absolutely wonderful. He truly was an angel.

Same day, with my mom and Erin

        I know that because of this experience my family has become closer than we ever would have been before. We learned to help each other when our mother was so grief stricken that she couldn't be there 100%, but did an amazing job considering the circumstances. We all banded together to help finish building the house that was almost finished. On Benjamin’s birthdays we would go to his grave, with a balloon for each of us, and write a note to him on our balloon and let it go.

        I know that through the stress of losing a brother, I became closer to my family—as if we were bonded through this experience. We still feel his spirit comforting us when we are having a hard time, or are away from family. This is the biggest blessing of all, knowing that he is always there watching over us.