Resurrection?

Just the word reminds me of home, Resurrection Bay. Anyway, such a beautiful sounding word and concept.

(noun) 3. The act of bringing back to practice, notice, or use; revival.

I hope to experience a revival of my soul, my joy and spirit in 2012. I am an optimist by nature; but even optimists get weighed down and can lose sight of the light when continually pummeled by life. It has been a crazy few years, and I am hoping to get back into some of my interests. To bring about a sense of balance and productivity. To find what else makes me happy again, and to move past some negative experiences of the last few years. To leave all that junk behind, I believe one needs to focus on being true to themselves, their values and principles, and extend the hand of love and friendship to those who deserve it. And to transcend those people and circumstances that try to pull you down.

My son Ryan went through genetic testing, and we were given a "suggested" diagnosis of Soto's Syndrome. Right now, he is the only one in the world with his specific genetic change, so the experts don't really know what the prognosis is. We have "fired" the doctors who are negative, because there is no room for "can't" or "won't" in our lives. I believe he is already proving them wrong. He has gone from barely talking this summer to speaking in 8 word long sentences this month. He is only 3 1/2, and has already been on the receiving end of discrimination from parents, kids, teachers, doctors, and strangers. So sad the way some people are. He is also severely allergic to peanuts, so we have to make several trips to the ER every year when he is exposed to it at school (despite the no nuts policies). Fortunately, he remains a sweet, smart, and kind child who posses the silliest, funniest little personality that I know. We expect that he will live a very full and productive life, graduating from school and picking a career that he loves. We will overcome any challenges, together.

On the knitting side of things, I have been too busy to knit much for myself, as having a special needs child consumes a lot of time, driving to therapies, schools, and endless appointments. At the end of the day it is a challenge just to keep a household running, and get my own physical therapy and exercise done. Many nights I just don't have the energy to knit. However, I have been teaching mommies to knit on and off for about three years. It has been a lot of fun teaching others, and to see some of them stay with and have it bring a sense of balance to their lives. Having a goal of teaching them has kept me involved, and I learn a lot through teaching others.

I have also been fortunate enough to be offered the chance to teach at Greenville's newest yarn store, Wool Over Your Eyes. I am so excited at this opportunity, and hope that I can rise to the challenge and do a great job. I will be teaching beginning knitting and first baby sweater classes this Spring. If you are interested, refer to their website or message me for more information.

I will be heading to Stitches South this Spring? What about you? Will I see you there? What have you been up to? Please leave a comment and let Ryan and I know!