Best Christmas Letter Ever
... at least that the wife and I have written. We penned it last year, Dec. 2004. Published here in it's entirety in honor of Tristan (HT: Hugh Hewitt) and Maddie.
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Is there any hope?
We trudge through our lives, going about our routines, day by day. Good things happen, bad things happen. We get a taste of both. Of course, we like to dwell on the good things, especially in letters such as this. But what if the bad things overwhelm us? What if it is impossible to break away from the bad things? Is there any hope?
Last April 16th, our lives took a sudden and unending detour. Our 6-year-old daughter Madelaine was diagnosed with “type 1” diabetes. Since that day, our family has stopped being “normal.”
Juvenile diabetes is not something that a person “grows out of”. There is no cure, and it requires daily vigilance. It is not caused by eating too much candy, fast food, or drinking too much pop. You can’t treat it with a healthy diet or a lifestyle change, like you can with “type 2“diabetes. There are neither pills nor remedies. Up until the 1920’s, this condition was fatal. That’s when “artificial” insulin was discovered. I often think about the fate of families before that time… a child who starts losing weight, and can’t get enough to drink. The strange smelling breath, and heavy, labored breathing… then the sudden loss. My heart grieves for them, and for all people who have had to endure living with a disability.
Did anything good happen this year? You bet! Maddie, under the care of her capable mother, leads a very normal life. She does have the “finger pokes” throughout the day to monitor her blood sugar levels, and the injections of insulin, too. But in her words, “It’s not about getting sick, it’s about believing God will give you the help that you need.” She’s started 1st Grade, and loves her new school, teacher, and friends. She’s a little evangelist, too. We’re glad that we put her in the public school system, so she can develop that gift. She’s shared the Good News with one of her friends already, and is making plans to talk with all other the kids in her class. We only wish we were that brave! Maddie was also a member of the heralded “Tualatin Donuts” girl’s soccer team, and is continuing up the ranks in the AWANA program. The priceless moment this year with Maddie came when we were at the pediatrician’s office the day she was diagnosed. Dr. Thomas was telling us about a treatment that may be able to help, but it was a real “long shot”. When he said those words, Maddie got a horribly concerned look on her face! She had conjured up an image of a HUGE, LONG NEEDLE that would SLOWLY AND UNMERCIFULLY be stuck into her body, and kept there, for a LONG TIME… she was quite relieved when she learned that this was a “figure of speech”.
Gabrielle is now 3, and has started pre-school. She’s following her sister’s footsteps through Community Christian School. She is very outgoing, and loves to be the center of attention. She loves to dress up, do her hair, and wear “makeup”. Often, she will change her clothes 2 or 3 times a day… sometimes even coming downstairs with an outfit that matches! She is a total sweetheart, too. She recently told Darla, “Mama, I love you too much!” She also came of age this year to enter the AWANA Cubbie program. Between pre-school and AWANA, she believes that she has “arrived”, and would be happy to tell you all about it. Gabrielle’s “moment” this year was an afternoon when she decided she’d help out cleaning the house… by polishing her bedroom furniture and bathroom fixtures with Vaseline. Tom discovered this when he went to fill the bathtub and sat down on the closed toilet seat. His pants got a nice coating as he slipped off onto the floor! And then Gabrielle got a chance to do some REAL cleaning. There is never a dull moment with Gabrielle around!
Darla has taken a break from teaching nursing school, but still works as a labor and delivery nurse a few days a month. She continues to attend Bible Study Fellowship, where she’s serving as a discussion leader this year. Darla’s real ministry, though, is keeping our family running and raising our 2 daughters… no small task when you’ve got a child with diabetes in the mix. And now, with that routine somewhat under control, God has blessed us with Maier Baby #3, who is “due” on May 21st! After 2 miscarriages in the past year-and-a-half, we are very happy to finally be welcoming a new member to the family. The big decision now is whether or not to find out if we’re having a son or a daughter… the current plan is to wait it out. Unless, of course, Darla has a moment of weakness while walking by an ultrasound machine up on her unit…
Tom has managed to make it through the whole year only hearing the words “YOU’RE FIRED” while watching “The Apprentice” on Thursday-night TV. That means that he’s still employed by VW of America, rooting out defects from the company’s software systems. (He can get you a deal on a new Volkswagen or Audi, if you interested…) Tom continues to volunteer as an AWANA leader, now into his 3rd year of mentoring 5th and 6th grade boys. He is also serving at our church in the “Community Groups” ministry. And on the home front, he does exactly what Darla asks of him, as any good husband should. At least most of the time.
So, is there any hope? We’ve seen 365 more sunrises, endured 260 more afternoon commutes. We’ve completed another trip around the sun. But there’s more to it than just the daily grind. We’re on a journey that has a start and a finish, each day writing another page in the “episodes of our lives.” Looking back, there have been some really hard times but also many blessings. Through our troubles, we’ve developed relationships with people we would have otherwise never met, and deepened those that already existed. It means so much to hear someone say, “We’ve been praying for you.” It’s so comforting to know that we can trust God to give us strength when we just want to quit. Without experiencing sorrow, we can’t really appreciate joy. Without realizing how broken we are, we wouldn’t long for something better. Until you’re face-to-face with tragic loss, you can’t appreciate all you’ve gained. There is hope for the burdened and the weary. We are promised rest. Oh, how I long for the day when we enter that rest, when everything is made new! That’s the Good News, and the reason for this Season. Yes, there certainly is hope!
Is there any hope?
We trudge through our lives, going about our routines, day by day. Good things happen, bad things happen. We get a taste of both. Of course, we like to dwell on the good things, especially in letters such as this. But what if the bad things overwhelm us? What if it is impossible to break away from the bad things? Is there any hope?
Last April 16th, our lives took a sudden and unending detour. Our 6-year-old daughter Madelaine was diagnosed with “type 1” diabetes. Since that day, our family has stopped being “normal.”
Juvenile diabetes is not something that a person “grows out of”. There is no cure, and it requires daily vigilance. It is not caused by eating too much candy, fast food, or drinking too much pop. You can’t treat it with a healthy diet or a lifestyle change, like you can with “type 2“diabetes. There are neither pills nor remedies. Up until the 1920’s, this condition was fatal. That’s when “artificial” insulin was discovered. I often think about the fate of families before that time… a child who starts losing weight, and can’t get enough to drink. The strange smelling breath, and heavy, labored breathing… then the sudden loss. My heart grieves for them, and for all people who have had to endure living with a disability.
Did anything good happen this year? You bet! Maddie, under the care of her capable mother, leads a very normal life. She does have the “finger pokes” throughout the day to monitor her blood sugar levels, and the injections of insulin, too. But in her words, “It’s not about getting sick, it’s about believing God will give you the help that you need.” She’s started 1st Grade, and loves her new school, teacher, and friends. She’s a little evangelist, too. We’re glad that we put her in the public school system, so she can develop that gift. She’s shared the Good News with one of her friends already, and is making plans to talk with all other the kids in her class. We only wish we were that brave! Maddie was also a member of the heralded “Tualatin Donuts” girl’s soccer team, and is continuing up the ranks in the AWANA program. The priceless moment this year with Maddie came when we were at the pediatrician’s office the day she was diagnosed. Dr. Thomas was telling us about a treatment that may be able to help, but it was a real “long shot”. When he said those words, Maddie got a horribly concerned look on her face! She had conjured up an image of a HUGE, LONG NEEDLE that would SLOWLY AND UNMERCIFULLY be stuck into her body, and kept there, for a LONG TIME… she was quite relieved when she learned that this was a “figure of speech”.
Gabrielle is now 3, and has started pre-school. She’s following her sister’s footsteps through Community Christian School. She is very outgoing, and loves to be the center of attention. She loves to dress up, do her hair, and wear “makeup”. Often, she will change her clothes 2 or 3 times a day… sometimes even coming downstairs with an outfit that matches! She is a total sweetheart, too. She recently told Darla, “Mama, I love you too much!” She also came of age this year to enter the AWANA Cubbie program. Between pre-school and AWANA, she believes that she has “arrived”, and would be happy to tell you all about it. Gabrielle’s “moment” this year was an afternoon when she decided she’d help out cleaning the house… by polishing her bedroom furniture and bathroom fixtures with Vaseline. Tom discovered this when he went to fill the bathtub and sat down on the closed toilet seat. His pants got a nice coating as he slipped off onto the floor! And then Gabrielle got a chance to do some REAL cleaning. There is never a dull moment with Gabrielle around!
Darla has taken a break from teaching nursing school, but still works as a labor and delivery nurse a few days a month. She continues to attend Bible Study Fellowship, where she’s serving as a discussion leader this year. Darla’s real ministry, though, is keeping our family running and raising our 2 daughters… no small task when you’ve got a child with diabetes in the mix. And now, with that routine somewhat under control, God has blessed us with Maier Baby #3, who is “due” on May 21st! After 2 miscarriages in the past year-and-a-half, we are very happy to finally be welcoming a new member to the family. The big decision now is whether or not to find out if we’re having a son or a daughter… the current plan is to wait it out. Unless, of course, Darla has a moment of weakness while walking by an ultrasound machine up on her unit…
Tom has managed to make it through the whole year only hearing the words “YOU’RE FIRED” while watching “The Apprentice” on Thursday-night TV. That means that he’s still employed by VW of America, rooting out defects from the company’s software systems. (He can get you a deal on a new Volkswagen or Audi, if you interested…) Tom continues to volunteer as an AWANA leader, now into his 3rd year of mentoring 5th and 6th grade boys. He is also serving at our church in the “Community Groups” ministry. And on the home front, he does exactly what Darla asks of him, as any good husband should. At least most of the time.
So, is there any hope? We’ve seen 365 more sunrises, endured 260 more afternoon commutes. We’ve completed another trip around the sun. But there’s more to it than just the daily grind. We’re on a journey that has a start and a finish, each day writing another page in the “episodes of our lives.” Looking back, there have been some really hard times but also many blessings. Through our troubles, we’ve developed relationships with people we would have otherwise never met, and deepened those that already existed. It means so much to hear someone say, “We’ve been praying for you.” It’s so comforting to know that we can trust God to give us strength when we just want to quit. Without experiencing sorrow, we can’t really appreciate joy. Without realizing how broken we are, we wouldn’t long for something better. Until you’re face-to-face with tragic loss, you can’t appreciate all you’ve gained. There is hope for the burdened and the weary. We are promised rest. Oh, how I long for the day when we enter that rest, when everything is made new! That’s the Good News, and the reason for this Season. Yes, there certainly is hope!
posted by Tom Maier at 7:25 AM
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