What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

If you have read my blog recently then you know that I went home last weekend. As I always do when I get home (or at Tina's, where I often stay), I look around the house. I look in the living room for new pictures that might be place around, I check out the fridge and pantry to see what goodies might be hiding there and I check out Tyler's room because each time it looks more and more like a "big kids room" and not that of the small boy I remember.

But during this most recent visit, it wasn't the food in the fridge or any new pictures on the walls that caught my attention. It was a drawing Tyler had recently created of his family. It was propped up in my sisters bedroom next to the door. It wasn't the bright colors that caught my eye or the fact that he colored his dog brown when in fact, she is white. The first thing that caught my attention was the fact that his drawing included two people; he and his mom standing side by side. But, the thing that truly made me stop and ponder the picture was the stature and strength portrayed in the picture. Yes it was a mother and son standing side by side as you would expect. But at first glance you might assume you were looking at two super-heros; broad shouldered, deep colors, and stance that showed strength and durability...and in my mind, knowing what they've been through over the past couple years- RESLIENCE.

Resilience is defined in Websters Dictionary as an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. These two have done just that in the past 8 months or so and they haven't done it separately; but rather together. Though my sister has a slim, frail build she's the strength of a thousand horses and her son sees that. He drew that in that picture. And as most kids, he models after that which is shown to him and therefore; he too, has the same strength, confidence, and reslience of his mom.

There are times when I look at Tyler (and his mom) and get tear-filled eyes. Not out of sadness for the losses they have had, but for pride for the strength and character they have shown.