We Thrived!

I'm sitting in the assembly hall on the last day of General Assembly, and for the second time in these five days, my eyes are moist with tears.

At the end every business session, a "speak out" is offered during which any person may speak for one minute. A man whose name I did not get used his one minute to thank the Assembly planners for the wonderful children's programs offered. He mentioned the fun activities, field trips and service projects they had, and also the care the volunteers took with several children with special needs, including (he said) "at least one child with diabetes and two with peanut allergies." He concluded by thanking the Assembly planners for making this Assembly "a safe place for children."

My eyes are moist with tears because I am the father of that child with (type 1) diabetes. Ethan, whose 8th birthday we celebrated yesterday, is still learning how to control his diabetes, and there are not many people to whom my wife and I feel comfortable entrusting him. The General Assembly was indeed a safe place for Ethan, and I am truly grateful.

Chris, our 15 year-old (see previous posts below) has come to my family from a place that was not safe. Yet he, too, found a safe place here at General Assembly, and for that I am truly grateful.

And Tristan, our 4 year-old, has also found a fun and safe place here, and I am truly grateful.

All three of my kids are sad that, tomorrow, we are going home. In thinking about this particular post for my blog, I thought I was going to write about how our family "survived" General Assembly. I'd never attended a General Assembly with one child, let alone three, and was a little concerned before we arrived. But when that man spoke out, I realized that we not only survived, we thrived.

And I am truly grateful.