This Guy Travis

Trav's throat doctor and therapists have really

stressed to him the importance of remembering

to swallow...and to swallow often.

His saliva especially. 

Can you even imagine? 
I can't :(

 

Travis was trying to figure out

something to help remind him to

swallow every minute...

Guess what we came up with?!?  ;)

He's such a mess!!!!!  

Every single day I try to wrap my mind

around his life, my life, the unfairness of life,

the goodness of life, the future of his life, etc.

I get this wave of heart ache.  It's unlike

anything I've ever experienced.  It's truly an

ache for someone else.  It's a true heart ache.

I saw this the other day and it pretty

much described how I know Travis

must feel every single day...

although he can't express it, or even

shed tears over it.  This must be

what it's like for him:(

But he always flashes that smile.

He always makes me laugh.

God bless my Travis!!!!!!!

"But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;

you are my glory,

the one who holds my head high."

Psalm 3:3

Throughout this journey, we have been

so blessed by certain people.  Most that

start to help Travis end up falling

so in love with him and his spirit

and his story.  You just can't help it!

Michelle, his morning aid,

is one of those people!!!

She has been WONDERFUL to him

and to our family. 

We just love her!!!!!

AND very obviously they love each other!!!

The Good Lord also blessed us tremendously

with two speech therapists at Hillcrest

who took SUCH an amazing interest

in helping Travis.  My mother has been

taking him and his aid to Hillcrest

three times a week since he returned

from Galveston.  They LOVE him

at Hillcrest and we love that he gets

out ~ almost like it's his job!

NOT a very fun job at all though;(

Unfortunately his progress has slowed

quite a bit and insurance will no longer

cover speech therapy for him.

This was a devastating blow

for us last week.  Thursday was his

last day.  Thank Goodness we

still have Baylor although Travis hasn't

been wanting to go. 

 I think he's just tired...

I mean, seriously, who wouldn't

be tired in this situation???

I do my best to encourage him and love him.

Lynna and Scott give it their all to do the same

for him. He refused Baylor this week,

but hopefully next week he will be back

in action.  This was last week and he just looked

so handsome, I kept taking his picture:) 

Sucker Punch #9,847 happened this week though:(

I ran into a friend who I used to teach with

at the middle school years ago. 

We talked briefly and she happened to ask

me "How my cousin was?"
I looked at her kinda funny and I

said you mean my nephew?

She said, "Yes!  The one I taught when

he was in middle school.  Blue eyes,

best smile.  What is he doing with his life?"

It dawned on me rather quickly that she had

no clue what had happened to Travis.

I am so used to people asking how

he is doing and this just caught me so

off guard.  I hated having to tell her:(((

I would give anything not to have to

tell her the truth about his life.

I got through it with minimal tears

and was able to share with her how

devastating it has been yet how

glorious it has been, too. 

But when I left and called Troy to tell

him, well, the flood gates opened.

#dailycrynumber15785forTrav
(usually get those in during the quiet
moments of the car pool line;)

Later on that night, though,

I realized how VERY fortunate I was that

I didn't have to tell her that

Travis was dead ~ that he had been

killed in a horrible accident.

THAT so easily could have

been his story. 

 

Thankfully he still has a chance...

he still has a purpose...

he still has a God and a family

who love him more than he

could ever imagine.

It's still so hard to grasp

and I hate his life so much

for him and many times I just

don't know what to pray for on his

behalf.  Still more healing?

For a friend?  His purpose?

 

But then I realize...

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our

weakness.  For we do not know

what to pray for as we ought,

but the Spirit himself intercedes

for us with groanings too

deep for words."

Romans 8:28