It has been a very good week and weekend. Tonight dear friend Jens Hasse, one of my University of Maastricht EPA Masters Programme classmates, came to visit from his nearby home in Aachen, Germany. Here we are pictured in August 2006 when he visited Martijn and me at the family's summer cabin located in nearby Lanaken, Belgium. This evening, Jens brought Martijn a lovely book of landscape photography and we spent time catching up on each other's lives. Then Martijn headed off for Sunday dinner with Geri and Marcel and Jens treated me to my favorite Maastricht pizza and more good conversation. Last night Martijn and I hosted friends Mary Waller and Birgit Schneidmuller for an Indonesian feast and more good coversation.
Thursday evening good friend Maurice Schoffelen hosted me for dinner and then took me to Lanaken to see the primere of The Golden Compass (starring my hero, ice bear Iorek Byrnison pictured above) while Martijn again spent time at his mother's. This activity reflects Martijn's continued progress and independence. He is walking on his own steam to his mother's. He's doing food shopping and preparing dinners and continuing to gain weight. All tremendous markers of his will and determination towards health.But, my reflections beget others, reflections on the fear that accompanies the hope of Martijn's amazing recovery, and the hope that accompanies the fear. I had intended to write about this until I came upon an article in this weekend's Wall Street Journal Europe that says it so eloquently, I direct you to it. I promise it is a good read. I've reprinted the lead here and invite you to follow the link to read the article in its entirety. I thank the author, Craig Winneker, and pray that his Rosie blooms bright, beautiful and strong.
Reflections on the Birth
Of New Hopes and Fears
By CRAIG WINNEKER
December 7, 2007
"Fear" doesn't begin to describe what my wife and I felt when, just 27 weeks into our first pregnancy, we learned that our baby would have to be delivered prematurely. "Hope" isn't big enough of a word to contain our emotions now that our little girl is here.
As Rosie struggles to get bigger, to develop, even to breathe, our lives have become an inescapable intertwining of fear and hope. The more fearful we are, the more we need to hope. The more hopeful we feel, the more we set ourselves up to fear things that might go wrong. The two emotions feed off each other. All new parents must experience this to varying degrees. Suddenly, at a time when there are so many big things to worry about in the world -- from war to economic uncertainty to environmental degradation -- we find ourselves focused on something very small indeed. Continue at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119697929965816330.html?mod=home_europe_weekend
Reflections on the Birth
Of New Hopes and Fears
By CRAIG WINNEKER
December 7, 2007
"Fear" doesn't begin to describe what my wife and I felt when, just 27 weeks into our first pregnancy, we learned that our baby would have to be delivered prematurely. "Hope" isn't big enough of a word to contain our emotions now that our little girl is here.
As Rosie struggles to get bigger, to develop, even to breathe, our lives have become an inescapable intertwining of fear and hope. The more fearful we are, the more we need to hope. The more hopeful we feel, the more we set ourselves up to fear things that might go wrong. The two emotions feed off each other. All new parents must experience this to varying degrees. Suddenly, at a time when there are so many big things to worry about in the world -- from war to economic uncertainty to environmental degradation -- we find ourselves focused on something very small indeed. Continue at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119697929965816330.html?mod=home_europe_weekend
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