Blogged by Ben

Hello fellow bloggers and friends! I've had a fun start to my weekend. We put up our Christmas tree last night! I am so excited! I love any kind of neat looking lights and the ones on our tree are the best. Even though I've often been sick during the holiday season I still love it because I spend so much much time with the people I love the most.

Usually one of my uncles will bring his family to visit my Me-Ma at Christmas and it might be the only time all year I get to see them. Plus me and my family are always going places to look at lights, or visit friends, or doing my sister's favorite thing: shopping!

Shopping is fun to me for a different reason than Jessie's. When we approach people at a store they will sometimes stare at me kind of funny. I know it's because of that hole in my neck and they are feeling sorry for me. But when I get near enough I always give them a big smile! It never fails - they always smile back! I don't understand everything about Christmas but I'm pretty sure that is an important part of it.

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From Bennie: This is one of those moments when my writing about Ben actually gets the best of me. I am weeping uncontrollably as I type this. I have never ever been able to look at the above picture without my whole of who I am feeling the deepest of guilt within my soul. Ben was so very, very small at the moment the camera captured this photo. That is my left hand in front of Ben's head. I had just released him from my hand to see him raise his head by his own strength for the very first time. By the way, Ben's head was just a tad larger than my hand at the time.

The look on his face is one of sheer joy. I still cannot imagine how difficult that task must've been for him because even with all the therapies and exercises he's received in his seven plus years, he still has difficulty holding his head upright for any length of time. From the surroundings I'm guessing the picture was taken late summer or early fall of 2000. I cannot imagine how difficult life has been for my child. I only know how happy he is all of the time. Ben's smile can literally make my heart stop sometimes.

God's Peace to everyone this Christmas!