Nearly 2 years

December 13 will mark 2 years since we first held our son. I have become a bit reflective over a few areas of my life in the past few days. This is one of them. I find it amazing how God moves in our lives. I consider each my children and am profoundly grateful for something that is devastating to my family.

I am grateful for Huntington's Disease (HD). Now don't get me wrong. It is dreadful and seeing my father go downhill with it in the past few years has been so hard. I cringe to think of what is to come. I saw how it affected my grandmother, and it is scary to think that the HD status of my brother and sister has not been tested, course then there are my 4 (soon to be 5) neice and nephews who are also at risk. I hate this disease.

But, today I came to the realization that if it weren't for the fact that my family has HD I am not sure Jeff and I would ever have considered adoption. If it weren't for HD we wouldn't have Eli! What a startling realization this was for me today. To think that if my family were all HD-free, if HD had never darkened the door of my family, I would not have my son. It is a weighty idea to be sure.

On the flip side of this I am also keenly aware of another truth. If I had not tested negative for HD I would not have my daughter. We had decided that if I had HD I would choose not to have children. When that test came back negative, it was the green light for us. We could have kids, or at least try to, and through that we have our daughter.

So much of my family is deeply rooted in the presence of HD. It has forever altered my family, in so many ways. However, today I am extremely grateful that in regard to my son at least, it has had a positive effect. Because of HD in my family, Eli is part of my family. That God can take something so devastating and bring about good is humbling. It is His specialty and for that I praise Him today.