Lola, Cal & Claire
April 2014
Cal was born in December of 1998 and was a typical, feisty boy until his sister,
Claire
came along when he was 2 1/2 years old. Something about her birth and
her life in general changed him. He grew up. He "got" things. He tried
like hell to make sense of this new life we all faced, and most of all,
he reminded us what really mattered most -- the precious moments we had
with Claire NOW. This was very hard for the rest of us to see, but Cal
seemed to always understand.
I remember feeling guilty that he couldn't just be a 2-year-old without a
care in the world. I wished that he didn't have to understand that
there was this chance that his baby sister, Claire, might not live one
year. He used to ask us, "Mom, when is Jesus coming for Claire?" I
would cry & cry after he left the room because that just wasn't fair
for my baby to have to worry about. But the gift that came with this
awareness was the gift of PRESENCE. We all quickly figured out -- in
part because of Cal's young wisdom -- that we would have a lifetime to
grieve for Claire after she was gone, but we could make a shitload of
memories NOW which would sustain us down the road. We were bound &
determined to MAKE THOSE MEMORIES. And have loads of fun in the process.
Our outlook quickly shifted, and that is where it's remained for the
past 10+ years.
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| Cal & Claire ~ Spring 2002 |
It was in the winter of 2006 that Cal (then age 7) uplifted us once again. We had just learned that
Lola
would be born with the same condition as Claire, and it literally
knocked the wind out of us. I remember crying for a day or two straight,
trying to make sense of WHY this was occurring a second time. Why
couldn't Lola be born without a disability? I remember Cal asking
questions about Lola and her health. I could not assure him that she
would be OK, but I told him that we just needed to pray for her. He
said, "Mom, I just want to know her...no matter how long she's here." I
was never so proud in all my life.
 |
Cal & Lola ~ May 2006
|
Cal continues to amaze us in many ways. He is a straight-A student, a
drummer in the band/drumline, he has served in STUCO as VP in 7th grade
& President in 8th & 9th grades, he is a phenomenal basketball
player (his first steps were literally to toddle over to his Little
Tikes goal and dunk the basketball!), and he is a good friend to all.
He is especially good with math, preferring to use his skillz for
figuring sports statistics so he can dominate at Fantasy Basketball,
Football & Baseball. He has an extremely witty sense of humor, and I
can honestly say that he makes us laugh EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! He gives
amazing hugs, and he loves his sisters & his family very much. We
are honored that Cal is our son.
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| April 2014 |
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July 2012
|
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| May 2013 ~ 8th Grade Promotion |
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