This is the story of our precious baby boy, who was diagnosed prenatally at
17 weeks with a fatal chromosome disorder called Trisomy 13. Although
Jonathan's condition is considered "not compatible with life", we desired to give
him every chance at life. Our prayer is that those who are touched by our story
are drawn to God, who is Life Himself. John 14:6

To start at the beginning of our story, click here.

7.19.2009

addressing the elephant in the room


dear mr. elephant,

it's been almost 4 weeks now since your unexpected arrival, and we think you have overstayed your visit. you see, you take up quite a bit of space in the room. we're afraid you're making some of our friends feel...awkward. some of them probably don't know what to say to us when you're making such a spectacle of yourself. so if you insist on staying around, you could at least be nice enough to let our friends know:
  • it's OK to talk about the elephant. we know he's there too. in fact, if you pretend he's not there, it may make things even more awkward.

  • we realize the sheer size of the elephant alone may cause people to say awkward things. we know, because we have been there at one time or another. if it comes out wrong, we promise to remember it's the thought that counts.

  • once the elephant is addressed, he tends to decrease in size exponentially, and everyone becomes more comfortable.

  • we are still the same lauren and greg that we were before the elephant arrived. we just happen to have a third wheel now.

  • we smile and laugh just like we did before the elephant arrived. in fact, we can pretty much guarantee you that most of the time, we won't do anything like cry in front of you. well, unless you cry and then all guarantees are off.

  • we still like to have fun and hang out with our friends. and we need your friendship, your encouragement, and opportunites for fellowship now more than ever. a good day with friends trumps a bad day with the elephant everytime.

so, mr. elephant, we thank you for your cooperation in the matter. but if you continue to hang around much longer, we will have to start charging you rent.

sincerely,

lauren and greg

5 comments:

  1. Funny! Cute! Great way to address the Elephant!

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  2. While I don't know either of you, our mutual friend Mike Burrell made me aware of your situation. All of you will be in my prayers, and I will thank God for both his sovereignty and your tremendous faith in these trying times.

    ~ Curtis Homan

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  3. Lauren,
    You have such a gift of words, and this is one of your best posts! I had a wonderful talk with your mom tonight. . .she is so proud of you and Greg! Thank you for your continued strength and grace!
    Love, Denise Davis

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  4. Lauren & Greg..you guys are awesome! Hopefully the ones that love and care for you will come to accept things as you have and learn how to be with you as you need it, the most important thing is to join together in faith and love and just be!

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