Have you ever been so committed to something in real life, only to have a major curveball thrown that disrupts the direction you were headed in life? Whether taken negatively or positively, that event made you say “Hold on just one minute.” to everything that had been, so that you could take care of what was happening right at that moment. Finding the answer to that question should be very easy because not too long ago the whole world was put on pause. Our reality changed for almost all of the human race with the pandemic. For the Schulze family, though, 2020 and the years following added more than a virus into our lives.
A Reality Pivot!
For those of you who are familiar with our clan and this blog, you know we meet you where you are at. Because we love unconditionally. And we do our best to be ready when (and I mean when) God asks us to pivot. Back in 2008, Down syndrome was one of those moments (Meet Jillian) . Jillian taught us all to take our time and enjoy this path placed before us. In 2015, as well, with our three-year-old, we were reminded by Ben to put our all into everything we do. (Get to know Ben here) Both continually demonstrate that we should not judge the book by its cover as well as to do our best with what God has given us.
Since adding these two “chromosomally gifted” members of our family we have walked together through valleys and over mountain tops. Because of these experiences, our real lives have become so much more than Down syndrome. (Check out our beginnings) While we still celebrate that extra chromosome there are many more facets to this gem of a family yet to be shared.
My desire to recommit to writing has been growing over this past year. Just the other day I reviewed the final post I had created. October 2019 was when that pause began to come to fruition and life as I knew it changed a lot. Actually, while dealing with the Hubster’s wrist (Just wait and see this story soon) following the emergency cross-country trek, life pivoted again, and again, and again.
Once "Unpacked" the link will be highlighted below.
October 2019: “The Great Fall”
January 2020: “The phone call of all phone calls”
February 2020: “Meet the kids”
March 2020: “Pandemic: Real life at home”
April 2020: “Survival Schooling”
September 2020: “Post Pandemic – Disney with teens”
October 2020: “Foster Care the kids arrive”
January 2021: “Covid in the house”
February 2021: “Alone at last”
March 2021: “Rett Syndrome, The loss of a child”
December 2021: “The Adoption That Almost Wasn’t”
February 2022: “Kevin’s new reality and work”
February/March 2022: “Walt Disney World: Just the two of us”
June 2022: “The Diagnosis”
August 2022: “T-shirts, the party and trip”
August 2022: “Chaos 2 Calm: Adoptive Mom Care”
September 2022: “Addiction”
and much, much more
Focus on Real Life
Because my reality is a lot! Sometimes, I ask friends to remind me that it is OK to be overwhelmed. That is where my challenge lays. What to write about? So I don’t get lost in the weeds, I need to find that niche to focus on. For one thing, my life is real and my days pivot like a lazy susan. Because of this confusion and chaos abound to those looking at our surface. My goal is to be an encouragement and bring hope, not to bog down my readers or make them feel “sorry” for me.
Speaking of friends Check out the “Chaos 2 Calm” podcast sweet Jodi Randolph co-hosts with me.
I found the connection to our life events, while searching for this blog’s purpose, faith. That is how we are able to live day to day and hope for the future. It helps me to get through my day with a positive attitude when I trust that God has a purpose in every experience and for every person. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when our struggle is real. When we are brought to the edge and don’t know what to do next. But that is just it, that is where real faith steps in.
(What are my mornings like? Click here for this blast from the past)
Over the next few weeks, maybe months, I will be “Unpacking” the moments God hit the “pause” button while sharing events such as “Adoption”, “Addiction”, and “Alzheimer’s”.
Want to Keep in the Loop? Click Here.
I hope you will join me on this journey through our “Never Easy – Always Good” experiences of “Real Life and Real Faith.”
