She's Not My Cross

This week in church, our priest was on vacation so we had a guest priest fill in.  Conducting mass this week was a Monsignor from Ghana.  His english was perfect, but you definitely had to focus due to his accent.  He started out talking about people in his community asking why God didn't grant them what they asked for in their prayers.  He explained to them that when you make the decision to be a follower of Jesus you agree to share the burden of carrying the cross.

Everyone has their own cross to carry, everyone's is different.  One person's could be poor health, someone else's a disability, and another person's financial issues, etc.  This got me thinking.  I hope that people don't look at my daughter as my cross to carry.  It breaks my heart to think that some would view her as a burden.  We all have our ups and downs.  Some of our loads are heavier than others.  We all deal with our issues differently.  Some cave to the pressures and some rise up above them and come out on the other side stronger.  Some help others deal with their issues.

I've had difficult things happen to me in my life, my mom died at the young age of 25 shortly after I turned 5, I had a boyfriend pass away in high school, another friend died shortly after him, grandparents, aunts and uncles have passed away, a miscarriage, Hailey's unexpected Down syndrome diagnosis and her heart defect.  Each event difficult and challenging in their own way and each one changed me.  I'm not sure which one, if any of them, was my cross to carry.  Maybe it was the combination of them all.  I do know for certain though...Hailey is not my cross.  I hope others see that, too.  She is funny, sassy, frustrating, animated, active, mischievous, rotten, spoiled, beautiful, stubborn, and loving.

A burden...she is not.

I happened to catch her dancing to the TV.

Love this girl!