dear little leah: no. 7: jackers

dear little leah,

when your daddy was graduating from college, he received six job offers. six. that's a lot. we were grateful, but it was also a lot of decision making on our part. sometimes it's just easier when a decision is made for you - like getting one job offer, you know? i won't complain. but it was a lot to think about. two of the offers were in the bay area. one right in the city and one in the suburbs. after some quick research about the area, we crossed both jobs off our list {$2,000 for rent? you've got to be kidding me}. we researched the other options and i thought we had come to a decision.

and then, all of a sudden, we were moving to the bay area. i'm still not sure how it happened. neither of us can remember. we both remember crossing this job off our list and yet somehow, here we are.

over the course of the last nearly four years, we've thought a lot about our decision {or lack thereof?} and we feel we were truly guided to this area. lots of these reasons we feel have direct connections to you having rett syndrome. others don't.

one of those "others" is named jackers.

isn't he cute?

don't get too excited. he's your cousin. well, second cousin. i am cousins with jack's daddy. jack and his parents moved here about 6 months after you were born. but you know something cool? you and jack are twinners! you were born on the SAME day, about 20 minutes apart. you in california, jackers in chicago. jack's mom was overdue, you came early and then, after jack's dad graduated from northwestern {he's a smarty pants}, he got a job here. the rest is history.

you've spent a lot of time with jack. and i know it might sound weird, but you guys sometimes act like twins. it's like you knew each other before you both got here and you just get each other.

i've had hard moments with nearly every child you've become friends with at some point or another - with their speech, their interests, their behavior, their development. mostly i just wish you were doing what they are doing or i have a moment where i despise them a bit. i know, i'm a horrible person. i'm working on it. but...i've never ever ever had a thought like that with jackers. kind of weird, huh? this kid is smart and he does a lot of things. and he does them all right on time, it seems. and it's never bothered me.

jack is great to play with you and include you in different activities. he loves waking up from his nap and realizing you're there to play. you two watched for the garbage man for a good portion of your second years. and you were so cute together.

jack understands more every day that you're a little bit different than his other friends, but he doesn't seem to mind. you're still just leah beah to him.

and i'm so grateful for that.

i'm so grateful for jackers. and for his mom and dad.

i really feel we were guided to this area so we could spend some time together and so we could have some family support close by. i really believe jack was prepared before he came to this earth to be your special protector. he watches out for you. i'm often brought to tears just thinking about their sweet little family {who just welcomed baby lauren...and you looooooooooooove her!}. and i will forever be grateful for little jackers.