Closing

To close, somewhere along the journey, if I could stay with and work through the grief, sadness, anxiety, and fear, Justin became for me who he is and not who he is not. It no longer pained me to see what his typical peers were doing and made me think, ‘if only’, because I stopped any regrets or comparisons.

Journal entry from years ago: Justin is 6 today. I can’t believe that we have survived for 6 years. More than survived, we have a relatively normal, happy life. At least more normal than I expected. During these 6 years the pain has always overshadowed the pleasure. It is amazing to me now, most days, the pleasure of having Justin in my life outweighs the pain.

If Ann and I leave you with any message today, it’s that life has turned out far more rich and fulfilling than we ever thought possible, and it will for you as well. You don’t have to go through this alone.

This journey is full of surprises…!

Maureen and Ann