I got to see the movie, Les Misérables, on Christmas Day with my wonderful mother-in-law, Judy. It was my first time seeing the show in any format. I learned some lessons that I thought my loyal blog-readers may enjoy. Please note: Spoilers Ahead

My 5 Life Lessons:

1      Always listen to my husband. He suggested that we buy our tickets online several hours before the show started. When we arrived, the line to the movie was out the door. We would have never made it if I hadn’t listened to him.

2      Life is tragic. Period. It seems the longer I live, the more I see this theme. If you’ve seen this show, you know the countless people that experience tremendous tragedy. Especially poor Fantine. She loses her job, sells her hair, her teeth and worse to support her child. “There was a time when the world was a song, and the song was exciting. There was a time. Then it all went wrong.” I am still shocked that Jude is not perfectly healthy. When you deliver a baby, and all is well, you thank God and think it’s over. We didn’t figure out that Jude had anything really medically wrong with him until he started having myoclonic seizures at 15 months. I never saw it coming. And while I’m lucky I still have my hair, I feel Fantine’s sense of loss of that dream.

3       Forgiveness is an amazing, life-changing gift. Hugh Jackman plays Jean Valjean. And if I had spent 19 years in jail for stealing bread, I’d be bitter too. When he is released and steals from a church, the priest has a chance to prosecute him. But he does something amazing. He says what he stole was a gift, and then gave him more. This may seem like stating something obvious, but it really dawned on me that this level of forgiveness was amazing. The priest could act on behalf of God. He could do something so powerful and rare. And it changed Jean Valjean’s soul. 

4      Revenge, while tempting, does more harm to you than your foe. Russell Crowe played Javert, always on the go trying to find Jean Valjean.  It was his life’s mission. And in the end, Jean Valjean’s act of kindness ultimately killed Javert. I have a very hard time forgiving people, especially those closest to me, who let me down. But this movie made me realize that I have the power and gift of forgiveness. Again, pretty obvious, but it touched my heart.

5      My mother-in-law is proud, strong-willed and more independent than I thought possible. She has survived so much loss and so much love. She is brave and kind. The movie theater was so packed that we didn’t get to sit together. But I did buy her a bottle of water that some nice strangers helped pass it down the row to her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get the bottle open. So she held that bottle of water for three hours and did not ask for help as to not bother any of the strangers around her. I love her strength and independence. She doesn’t want to miss a thing, and rarely asks for help. It reminds me of someone else I know in my family.

The movie was amazing. The theater was completely full, and completely silent until the end when all you could hear were little sobs as people tried to hide their tears. It really was a great Christmas movie. I think about Mary, feeling a bit like Fantine. I’m sure hers was not the life she imagined. Cold, alone, pregnant. And the incredible forgiveness we get, and even better, can give. Christmas miracles indeed.

Merry Christmas. 

Chris and I can watch just about any kid's PBS show with one exception, the Jack and the Beanstalk episode of Super Why. In the story, they can't get Baby Joy, Whyatt's little sister, to stop crying. She cries and cries. Nothing seems to help. Except changing the channel.

It reminds us both too much of Jude crying. He cried and cried as a baby. And he still cries and whines for us today. What brings it on? Anything new, anything frustrating and any sort of transition (from playing to going in the car, from going in the car to going inside to go potty, from watching a show to eating dinner). It's all met with a whiny cry, lots of sobs, tears and foggy glasses. And that's just Chris (smile). 

We hear that Jude reserves this behavior primarily for us, his parents. Teachers usually comments what a happy, playful child he his. He loves to give hugs and is all smiles at school. It's certainly a blessing that he doesn't have a behavior disorder at school. He just has a Jude disorder at home. 

We have discovered one therapy that helps. It's called Integrated Listening Systems (iLS).  There are several programs within it, but the one we love best is called "calming". Jude listens to 15-30 minutes of it while he's playing or focusing on a task. And it completely evens out his emotions for the next several days. Perhaps I should use it next. If anything, the music will block out all the crying, right? :)

Here is a short video about the technology:

If I could have a magic wand, I'd make Jude happy. I would make transitions (and life) easier for him. We wonder about the Jude we envisioned in our family. He'd be the male version of Lucy. He'd smile and flirt with the ladies. He'd spell his name loudly when someone asked. He'd sleep in a bed with a pillow and lots of blankets. He'd take off his own clothes and run around naked. He'd like to go for ice cream or to a movie. He'd talk about Santa and what he wants for Christmas. He'd help us set the table. He'd want a sticker chart and a puppy.

These are things that lots of typical kids do. While Jude is not a typical kid, he does come with many of his own kinds of blessings. When he laughs, it's contagious. He is sensitive and sympathetic to anyone who is upset. He is persistent and brave. He loves to go bowling, even though he can't see far enough to know how many pins he's knocked down. He pushes the ball and laughs anyway. 

There are other kinds of tears that Jude brings us. Tears of joy. There is a special sense of pride in accomplishments that don't come very easily. Like having a vision impairment and still learning letters, numbers and colors. That is the gift we are learning to appreciate. Those times when Jude succeeds in spite of his challenges are worth all the tears from him and us along the way. 

Poem of the day:
Tears 
Salty water 
Foggy little glasses 
Always wishing them away 
Parenting