PARSON TO PERSON: We need each other

Last night at our church we started a new ministry - a Special Needs Support Group. This is something that has been on my mind heavily for the past year. Our son, Hudson, had a brain injury at birth and suffered a stroke and seizures. Before he was discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Neurologist, after looking at his MRI's and EEG's, told us that there was no way to tell how Hudson would develop. He could be a vegetable or he could be relatively normal. Talk about uncertainty!

Seven years later Hudson is walking (with a limp due to some Cerebral Palsy) and is able to communicate simple words even though he is non-verbal. Nothing has been easy about raising a child with special needs. Everyday is a roller coaster where the highs are high and the lows are low. Because of this I've felt that it's extremely important to find outlets where I can share my feelings, frustrations, and hopes. Thus, the Special Needs Support Group.

Last night my husband and I and seven others sat around a table and talked, shared our stories, laughed, and cried. And we were all there for each other knowing that none of our paths have been or will be the same but having the common knowledge that we need each other.

We need each other. Not just parents of children with special needs but WE ALL need each other. When I am leading large groups of people in prayer I like to have them form a circle, place their right palm toward and sky and their left palm toward the ground. That way when they grab the hand next to theirs they are being supported by someone, and in turn they are also supporting someone else. We need each other.

If you or someone you know would benefit from this group our next gathering is Monday, October 14 from 6-7PM at First Presbyterian Church.