A Gathering of the Most Special

So whether you know me through this blog, social media, or in person you should all know I am a believer in Christ. I'm very open about my beliefs and I love to talk to others that share the same beliefs or different. If you are a believer I want to ask you something, are there places and people you can be around and almost immediately feel the presence of God? He fills the room and you see Him in others around you. I have a few different places where I go and instantly feel God's hand on my heart bringing me peace, and each place is so special for me. I just recently found a new special place and I'd love to share with you all my experience! What's so special about this is it isn't a physical area but a group of people I met.

As many of you know Josh and I just attended his first PMD Conference down in Indianapolis. Before going I was filled with nerves, curiosity, and definitely excitement. We got there and I saw how many PMD families were there and I was overwhelmed with emotions! Slowly meeting the families and their PMD boys I felt comforted by each one. Each family had a unique story to share but yet every one had similarities that tied us all together. PMD, this rare genetic disease that I hate so much and fills me with anger also brought me together with beautiful and loving people that I finally felt understood by. So now I have a love/hate relationship with PMD. It's caused so much pain and hardship on my son and our family, and all the other families, yet it has taught me so much. It's showed me depths of myself I didn't know was there, taught me about loving and how to TRULY love unconditionally, it's taught me anger and pain is okay as long as it doesn't control your thoughts and feelings.

I was asked to describe how I viewed the conference in just a few words and I'm still yet to do that. My heart is so full and my mind has been replaying all of the wonderful new memories I've made that I can't narrow it down to a few words! So instead I'm making a full blog post about it. I guess if I were to take one thing away from our first conference it would be hope. Hope for Josh's future and our story, and all that's to come. I want to tell you some stories and why I left with so much hope. First I'll tell you about a boy named Li. When Josh and I would stroll by Li would yell out "Babyyy" and wheel over to say hello to Josh. Every time we entered a room he wanted to see and play with Josh. He was like that with everybody! He has the purest heart. There was another boy named Logan and he loved to push himself in his chair and chase people around and act like he was a ghost! He also would chase the other boys and play bumper wheelchairs! Logan was always looking for people he could interact with. Then there is J.R!! I can not tell you enough about J.R. He was always making me and everyone around him laugh. We were out at dinner and a man was getting arrested across the street and he pointed and laughed! J.R also goes to Hooters every year and takes pictures with all the women.

I'm telling you these stories because these were the moments I was filled with hope. Every boy, no matter the severity of their disease, was so filled with LIFE!! They all had a great humor, accepting, wanted to interact with new people and were welcoming. I looked at every PMD boy or man there and said I hope Josh is like him when he is older. Josh has such a big and silly personality I never want him to lose it no matter the hardships we may face medically. Meeting these families showed me that we may struggle but as long as we make Josh feel loved, happy, and accepted for who he is, his big personality will bloom just like it did for all the other boys.

I met these families and their children and I knew God was with us all. We were welcomed into a new family and for that I am grateful God brought PMD into our lives.