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Run Your Race

Another birthday approaches. But it is not just a birthday, for our entire family it is an anniversary, the anniversary of new life. For the first time I have realized how coincidental it is that her birthday lands right in the middle of spring. It’s the perfect time for beginnings.

This past week we had her annual IEP for school. Without a doubt it is a miracle in itself that she is attending school. She made it there. But what strikes me hard is how perfectly things have worked out.

My girl maybe the luckiest girl in the state of Georgia.

Many would find that hard to imagine between the four injections of an antibiotic that stings like crazy in this past week, the IVig infusion today and the two CT scans planned for tomorrow, but really that is a sidebar for her. Still she has a lucky streak. The powers that be have decided that this girl of mine will be blessed. The people in place in her school are amazing. Our school experience, her school experience, is unlike most deafblind students in Georgia.

Blessed. Beyond. Imagination.

And this year as Ivey’s birthday fast approaches I can’t help but think of them. Over the past few years this race we have been running with Ivey has been hard. Now we have this team at school running this race with us. Teaching her.

Earlier this year I took the boys to watch the movie Secretariat. I cried pretty much the entire movie. Throughout the movie the words “Run you race” kept surfacing. I sat and would look at the boys and think "Just run boys, run". Stupid maybe. I like the philosophical stuff. But when I look at Ivey it seems so appropriate too.

Without knowing it, she is running her race.
Her race.
Not my race or your race, just her race.
Her pace.

Some of us get to sit in the stands and watch and cheer her on.

And then there are some of us who run with her -

She can’t hear the defining words of her appearance. She doesn’t notice the quizzical comments of strangers.

No.

She just runs.

It is her race.

She is running to win.

She started out of the gate late and slow.

But she is thundering ahead.

There is a finish line out there.

She sees it.

She feels it.

I’m running.

Matt is running.

Two brothers are side-by-side with her.

Ivey’s League is running.

And then there is this amazing group running with her, they love her, they want her to win….they want her to …. Run Her RACE….

This year for her fifth birthday all I can think is “Run your race baby girl, run your race”. You’ve been running it all along - with and without me. Just keep running.

We’ll be there cheering you on –
ALL of us.

Comments

Jennifer said…
Love this!! Run, Ivey. The Scotts are cheering for you (with big grins on our face)!
Heather said…
So beautifully written my far away friend and feeling blessed to be watching her amazing and inspiring race.Wish it were more up close and personal but I will take what I can get.

Love from California and hoping one day,in my dream upon dreams,that I will get the opportunity to cheer Miss Ivey on in person.It could happen you know..
Kerin said…
She is such a strong little girl and is so lucky to have a Mom like you who 'clears the path" so she can "run the best race she can". No one knows why God chooses children to suffer from chronic illnesses, but he sure knows the Mom's are strong and incredilble. No one knows the true struggles you and other Mom's of special needs kids face every single day to have the best for their children I'm in awe of your strenth and preserverence- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Heb 12:1
Lisa said…
I read Nancy Hunter's post on my Facebook page and clicked on your link. I remember meeting you and your beautiful daughter a few years ago in my store (Living & Giving). After reading your post, you have left me drowning in tears of happiness for your family. You have all been blessed with the miracle of this child. I am overwhelmed by your story. Thank you for sharing and happy birthday Ivy...race on!

Lisa Landry
Andrea said…
Run on little Ivy! You are such a beautiful darling of a thing. So blessed was I to lay eyes on you that fateful day! You and your momma inspired me that very day to keep running my race too! Run on...happy birthday!

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