Holidays in a Rehab Center, what a luxurious experience, like an exotic vacation.... minus the vacation, freedom to go where you want, exploring new, exciting places and unlimited amounts of fresh Vitamin D and so much more. Really, they do the most afforded them with what they need to accomplish. Everyone here is working hard to get back to their lives at home through extensive therapy. As much as Rehab Center tried to make it nice for those that stayed, it was a stark reminder of where you or your loved one was.
The Rehab Center came alive as possible with the usual holiday decorations, some sweet groups brought in stockings for each room with a blanket, some sang Christmas Carols and more. For Brianne, her incredibly caring Co-teacher at Westland Elementary had all of Brianne's kids make an ornament with their photos on them. They took those love filled ornaments and decorated a tree for Brianne that adorned her room and brightened up the feeling of the season. To this day, it is lite in her room and has the wonderful remembrance of those who lovingly adorned it for her that Christmas.
Thanksgiving came as a beautifully sunny but chilly day. Because most people went home for the day, the cafeteria had only one other table of people eating together besides us, Brianne, Dale, her grandmother, and I. We tried to make it the best day possible together. We watched a show together afterwards in Brianne's room, visited with some of the staff, played a game and then waited until *Alex was able to join us that evening for dessert!
We could take Brianne home for just a couple of hours and only one time, so we opted for the Saturday after Thanksgiving because *Lennerd was taking *Alex to his parents house on Thanksgiving. *Lennerd's Mother was so concerned about all their family being in town to support *Lennerd in his challenging situation, though they did come in the evening for pie.
We wanted *Alex to be with Brianne when she was home with all her siblings so everyone could all be together. We couldn't have been more elated for Brianne to see something outside of a hospital (it had been months but felt like an eternity) and for those who loved her so much to be there too and make some wonderful memories. She needed to have continual hope and a glimpse that she would eventually get out of the hospitals and work towards a normal life. As normal as possible with all that she had gone through and for all that would come. Life as she knew it had and would change in every way.
The holiday finally felt complete for Brianne being able to see her little *Alex. I was really thrilled that she could spend almost an entire day with him on Saturday along with the rest of the family. What a blessing!
It is times like this that small ordinary moments prove to be the gems in life!
Continue to love, hug and cherish the ones closest to you!!
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