Inspiration for Monday-Autistic Children Get Time with Santa!

Generally, I enjoy looking for inspiration for Monday because it seems to be the hardest day of the week for me. After a holiday even more so, but that doesn't mean that I am NOT in the holiday spirit.

What I find I have to recover from is all of the hoopla about shopping Black Friday and people using stun guns on each other to get the best bargain. However, there are still some good folks out there that think otherwise.

This bit of inspiration for Monday I wanted to share with you, and I am sure you will agree that it's touching, and will inspire you and others to take action this holiday season.

Inspiration for Monday Out of Malls?

As it turns out, there are several malls in the US and Canada that have found a way to make some autistic children very happy. They get to meet Santa on their own terms. 

This is because they will have some time to meet Santa set aside for them, rather than their parents bringing them to meet Santa when the other children do. Great idea or what? This time with Santa is before the malls open, which means they won't have to be uncomfortable in crowds and loud noises which many autistic children don't do well with. 

If you are reading this and you are the parent of an autistic child, or perhaps you foster one, you know all too well what they often miss out on. As a parent, you struggle to figure it out and how you can find the balance. Lights and music are turned down too to help out with the setting for a calm visit with Santa for this Christmas season.

While you may still be in need of inspiration for Monday, there is no doubt that this story sheds light on how you can help those that are not only less fortunate, but those that just need to celebrate a little differently. It's all about the children isn't it? As well, it's all about putting a smile on their little faces.

Do you have a story to share? If you have your own inspiration for Monday, we would love to hear from you here in the comments below, and we would also love to hear from you on Facebook on our page for Courageous Life!

A Mother and Her Courageous Choice

Do you think mothers are courageous? We sure do, and we believe that they are courageous all of the time. Mothers make decisions that always put their children first, at least in most cases I know of. The mother we wanted to talk to you about today is no exception. 

In fact, she is the model of what makes mothers awesome. The New Zealand Herald published an article earlier this year about this mother, and the decision she made to have her baby despite what doctors told her. The news?

Toni, this young mother was told that the baby she was carrying would only live for a short time if the baby survived. If you have been following our blog or have joined our community, then you know the stories we share not only reflect courage in the lives of others, but we share miracles. 

This story is nothing short of a miracle, and you'll love sharing this with your friends and family too! 

Courageous Choice Over Doctor's Recommendation

Toni was pressured by her doctor to terminate her baby early based on what they say were anomalies that showed up in the ultrasound. Toni was told that her baby girl had many problems physically that not only cause her to live a short time, 

She was told that there was no amniotic fluid around the baby, and that the baby's brain was growing out of sync. Plain and simple, she was told there is no hope. The condition she was diagnosed with, occurs in 2 out of every 100 pregnancies. 

This Premature Rupture of the Membranes was the overall diagnosis for Toni, which is what doctors say causes the baby to suffer physically. Toni made a courageous decision to NOT follow the doctor's advice and carry the baby despite the pressures. 

As a mother, Toni never feared giving her baby a chance at life, and when the baby was born, none of the complications she was told she had were evident. Her baby girl was born only with what is referred to as a horseshoe kidney. 

Is it possible that God rewarded her for her decision? We can't answer that, but what we can tell you is that it's always right to be courageous. Life is precious, and we value it. We believe you should too! 

If you love what we have shared with you today, please leave a comment below! 

Live a Courageous Life! 

Courage of a Mom with Breast Cancer

Would you have courage to go on if you were diagnosed with breast cancer? If you are the mother of two children, you don't really think of anything else but NOT giving up. This is the story of my mom. My mom was diagnosed early in life with breast cancer at the age of 40. Not only was she young for the average age of diagnosis at that time, but my mother was also called back immediately after her very first mammogram, EVER. 

I was in the 5th grade, and my brother was two years ahead of me; it was tragic. I could never admit it, and I kept telling my mom that there was nothing wrong with her. I kept saying to her, "You are not sick!" As upsetting as that was for her, I believed in my heart that she would make it, and she did. I couldn't imagine being so young and losing my mother. So, I just pretended it didn't exist. I think for our sake, she took on that role and my words and just decided that she just wasn't going to die. That is the courage of a mother.

A photo of me and my mother on my wedding day, November 14, 2009
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The first step for my mother was meeting with the surgeons, and at that time, they just drew on you. That couldn't have been fun for her. Not just that, but like any woman, mom feared that she was going to be someone different, somewhat alien in that she was losing a part of her anatomy. She had a mastectomy on one side, a reduction on the other, and the surgeons just kept mentioning more surgery. 

Her thoughts? I can't stay in the hospital forever, I have children to raise and a husband. Wow. No thought for herself; she just knew that she had to get better. That is courage. Every time I saw her, she had her makeup on and she was smiling. She didn't act as though anything was wrong with her. I just kept believing that she wasn't ill. The day of her surgery, my dad broke down as she was being wheeled back for surgery, and then at that time, it hit me that she was sick. 

To see my dad cry was a once in a lifetime thing; he just didn't do it. We were the family that people looked to for strength, and how to raise their family. Mom and dad were the parents that showed up at every school function, no matter what. No matter how tired she was, even after mom went back to work, she was always there. 

My mom has exhibited a ton of courage over the years, and although our relationship hasn't been the greatest, we love each other. I admire her still for what she did then, and what she is doing today. Feisty or not, she is my mom. I am going to be a mother soon, actually I already really am. No matter where you children come along, you love them. I love mine, and I haven't even met them. 

The one thing I learned from her is to NOT give up. She was so determined, the surgeon promised her his determination. His announcement when they popped out of surgery was music to the ears. "I got it all, no chemo or radiation." Wow. Even mom's "courage" gave others faith, and she still shares her stories with others. 

I just requested a t-shirt from Courageous Life for my mother, in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month. Won't you do the same? It's for a great cause, and it's less than what most of you spend to eat out. You can go HERE to get your pink t-shirt. Share your courage! 

A Mothers Love No Matter What

A mothers love is no doubt just as strong or as sound as a mothers courage. You might be reading this wondering what this is really about. It's about the fact that once a mother gives birth, she never considers that she would have lived life any other way.

Imagine, how strong that love is that she chooses you. She choose to plan for you, have you, and then care for you.

A mother, wants to teach you everything about life, how to love, how to know the difference between right and wrong, how to read, how to paint, how to sing, and everything else a mom loved when she was a child. There isn't a replacement for this joy in life.

Your experience may NOT have been so loving, so special, and one that didn't create memories. Either way, this story of a mother's love will touch you. Keep reading.

How a Mothers Love Works 

It seems that when your child is sick as a parent, that you would do anything for them, right? Could you possibly name one thing you wouldn't do for them? It would be tough to think that you could think of one single thing right? 

This is why one of the most amazing things is how a mother can give birth to a child that is handicapped and NOT think twice about loving them. In a mother's eyes, her children are perfect, no matter what they do, even if they are upset with them. 

I was sitting in the doctor's office, and I was across from an older couple that had a set of adult male twins. I was watching them interact and I saw nothing but happiness, smiling, and conversation that was  unconventional, yet continous. 

One of the boys couldn't talk at all, and was using his sign language, but the other was fully conversational in his own way. Their mother caught me watching them and smiling, and I said to her, you MUST be the happiest mother in the world. She said to me:

"I am, and you are the first woman to ever say that to me, thank you! You see, most people don't get it. They would think that my husband and I are burdened taking care of them all of their life,yet we find it such a joy. The truth is, we have our boys here with us always, whereas most mothers don't. They grow up, go to college, then they get married, and you NEVER see them again. We value and treasure every second with them, and we wouldn't have it any other way." 

As we were talking, the one that had the ability to speak said to me, "You are so pretty. Yep, yep you are. Why don't you think that you are? Yep, pretty just soooooooooooo pretty."

I was smitten. In that very moment, I was captivated in a conversation with a young man that was very capable of expressing what he saw, but yet somehow I didn't see the same thing. I did see that he was loved, and that there are some things in life that are absolutely no accident. 

In fact, it was the joy of her being able to converse with him in this fashion that she said she has learned so much, and that her son taught her so much. It was the same thing I was seeing right then, and it was amazing. A mother hangs on every word, no matter what, just because it's her son. 

A mother's love never ends, and doesn't pick and choose what is lovely. 

I have to say that after this today, there is nothing like a mothers love that transcends all understanding, and that no doubt, it is the most unlikely candidates that teach us more about ourselves than we ever could.