February 14th.  Halfway through the month!  Near the beginning of Spring!  Today marks the end of CHD Awareness Week,  and a little “holiday” known as Valentine’s Day.  It’s hard to ignore Valentine’s Day.  As hard as you try.  And trust me, I really do try.  I’m just soooo not a fan.  Probably because I eat chocolate whenever I want and my husband tells me he loves me every day.  I’m more than OK with that.

So let’s talk about CHD Awareness Week instead!  I wore lots of red, even though the outfit pictures I planned didn’t happen.  I learned some new things via Instagram.  I tried to find some heart mama jewelry (still working on that one). I learned a lot about other heart defects and joined a couple of Heart Mom groups on Facebook.

…and I realized it all made me a little depressed.

It was hard thinking about heart conditions every single day.  Oh, just hearing about babies who had passed on, waiting for heart transplants.  Heartbreak.  Imagining other kids and parents going through what we went through – and much, much worse. There are parents and babies in the middle of the fight right now.  Ugh.

I think it’s really important to spread awareness about this.  #1in100 you know.  So how do I do that without getting all bummed about it?  I guess I can’t, really.  I just have to be open to other stories and experiences, learning to be sympathetic and offer support where I can, while still separating it from my own life.  Because, for me personally, just for today, I have to live in a place of gratitude. I lived in fear a lot over the years, and it doesn’t work for me.

For each day Stevie is here and healthy, we are grateful.
He is progressing and growing and reaching his milestones in his own time.  And for that we are grateful.
We live in a place where we have access to the best doctors and programs around.  So grateful.
Stevie has looked his CHD in the face, with all the curve balls it has thrown him, and said “NOT TODAY, SIR!”
Go Stevie, go!  For him, we are so grateful.