“We Will Never Give Up!”

‘We were not giving up,’ I thought, ‘We will never give up! We will find out what’s wrong and we will fix it and our little world will return to it’s orbit!’ I was determined, because I believed that somehow, somewhere, the answer was waiting.

But, in the meantime, we would do everything we could to help Jessica. I thought of Charlotte’s quiet comment, “…some kind of seizure activity.” I shuddered at the implication of that. No doubt about it, we were heading into uncharted waters.

I looked at Renée and she was looking at me, as she sat there with Jessica in her lap. I noticed the tears in her eyes and the slightly hopeful look on her face. We had begun the fight to return to a normal life. We were committed.

Little did we know what lay before us.

A greater question was forming in my mind.

‘Why Was this Happening to Jessica?’

That night the doctor wrote in Jessica’s medical record, “…examination unremarkable today…” and then, “…although I think that a consultation with a neurologist would be appropriate.” And so we scheduled the appointment that night, and off we went still in the void, desperately hoping for answers.

Commitment & Endurance.

When you are facing the unknown, which probably includes a bewildering affliction, such as we found ourselves eye to eye with, you begin to fully understand what ‘commitment’ means.

Commitment is the word without an end. It is a critical part of every other good thing. It is easy to say, but hard to do. It requires that you ‘choose’ it and it requires ‘sacrifice.’ Two things that do not come naturally or easily. That is why deep commitment is rare.

Choosing to Commit.

Why is commitment so difficult? When we look around us in the world today it is easy to see ‘lack of commitment.’ A case can be made that lack of commitment leads to many secondary problems. As caregivers our commitment is tested everyday. We are tested in every way imaginable and in ways we cannot imagine. We have to get in the fight and get our hands dirty. With commitment firmly chosen we will get up when we are knocked down, we will keep going when we are tired, we will never stop trying to succeed. It is the glue we need to hold things together. I believe it is a very critical difference maker.

Consider this:

What is faith without commitment?

What is love without commitment?

What is friendship without commitment?

What is a relationship without commitment?

What is hope without commitment?

What is confidence without commitment?

What is joy without commitment?

What is a caregiver without commitment?

Who am I without commitment?

Without your ‘commitment decision’ you will find ‘endurance’ difficult if not impossible, in the long run. Commitment leads to endurance. Then unselfish love gives you the power to go on. Unselfish love truly is a decision.

Next Week: “A Small Miracle.”

I will continue to share the answers to the question “What happened to Jessica?” every Monday in the weeks ahead. When I have received sufficient feedback and questions, I will add a Thursday episode, as needed, to this blog, focused on answering your questions and comments.

Thanks for your interest.

Jim, Renee & Jessica