Of Peaks and Valleys and the Journey in Between!

Almost 43 years ago, I married the man of my dreams! Really- if I could have printed out a picture of the man I wanted to marry when I was - oh say -16, it would have looked remarkably similar to Ed Wilson. (The man I married at age 19). Oh what a peak! Think James Dean, think Fonzi - think Brad Pitt - well no- not Brad Pitt- he turned out to be something else.

A little over a year later, we expected a child, and it was a boy and we continued up that mountain toward another peak! We slid a little when Scott came early - but he was a sweetie and we thought we were headed back up the mountain with our little family.

Through many medical turnstiles, we continued to move - then when Scott was about age 3 - a new doctor asked me, "What school is he in?". I muttered he was too young for school to which the doc said (without looking up from the papers he was scribbling on) - "Oh! But mentally retarded children can start at age 3". He went on with his note making and I ceased to breathe!

I screamed and I cried and I ran out of the clinic. Crushed, broken and gasping for air to return to my hurting lungs. Later I realized it was not my lungs that hurt - that was my heart!

It took many years to stabilize - to get beyond the diagnosis. Finally we returned to Scott - not "Scott my mentally retarded son".

Then came a daughter. The fears returned - would we slide down that mountain again? Would the joy again be clouded by disaster? No! God is good and our pilgrimage to the summit continued.

In February of 2007 Ed and I were so blessed to become grandparents to a beautiful grandson, Sawyer. His penetrating stares could melt your heart. His ear piercing screeks could peel wallpaper from the walls! However, he was ours and love does not begin to touch the depth of the feelings we all had for that little guy.

Sawyer began with an early arrival and had some problems along the way. Hernia, reflux - annoying but not too threatening. Then the day that made our world shake again! At his first annual exam, the doctors began to suspect something far more sinister - Williams Syndrome. What? Never had heard of it! Did not WANT to hear of it. Ed and I sat in the early morning hours crying for what "might" be and holding on to each other for support. It took weeks to get the definitive answer from our daughter. Williams Syndrome.

For probably a period of several months, this genetic deletion reigned over all our lives. It was like a cloud over Sawyer. We saw his magical smile and heard his infectous laugh and yet it was there - "Williams Syndrome".

Gradually, He has come out from under that cloud. He has become Sawyer again. He does Sawyer-like things - not because he has Williams but because he is just Sawyer. To those who might misunderstand and think - Oh! He outgrew it or some such transaction - no! He still has the deletion, but WE have outgrown it. His parents have done a awesome job of giving him every opportunity to surge forward and learn. Pushy - maybe, but he will benefit from that. He is learning daily and becoming even more our Sawyer!

Growing in so many ways is a good thing as he is now BIG BROTHER SAWYER!

On May 1st, Sawyer "welcomed" his little sister, Gwendolyn Haley! Oh! the joy!

We are out of the deep valley where we met "Williams Syndrome" and we are back on that mountain top! Deeply in love with that little girl with the piercing eyes! We can't wait to hold her and smell her and feel the warmth of that sweet little jewel!

Would we appreciate our "peaks" without the valleys? I would be willing to try . . .

Perhaps the weakest moments in our climb make us appreciate the sweetness at the summit. This last week has been pretty darn sweet!