Well, today, Sept 9, 2014, I took the plunge.  I started a blog…

I am not a technology person, and it is “learn by doing”.  But, — so much is, isn’t it?  Or maybe it is doing, and we just hope we learn.

This blog is meant to allow reflections on the Mothering Journey that began Feb 28, 2014.  My oldest son, Conor, was in a tragic car accident where 5 college students were headed to the Minneapolis airport to catch a plane to reach an Ultimate Frisbee tournament.  The car hit ice, crossed lanes, and was broadsided by an ongoing semi.  It was no one’s “fault”.  No one was speeding, drinking, texting…it was ICE.   Three boys died instantly.  He was behind the driver, and he and the driver lived.  Conor sustained multiple injuries, including a very significant Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI).  The journey through the initial 6 months of his healing process was shared on a Caring Bridge Site for Conor Eckert.   There is plenty of reflecting on that site as the 6 months was filled with so much grief, goodness, pain, surprises, blessings, support, healing, miracles, giving…that I feel I have lived a lifetime in the last 6 months.  But, through the most intense of it, I discovered that writing the Caring Bridge blog was not just a communication tool to our immense and geographically diverse support group.  It was also a gift to me – to allow reflection, processing, and drawing attention to some amazing gifts that happened along the journey.

Now we are “beyond the bridge”.  Through 6 months, “Conor” has emerged/returned and his brain has had a  healing process –the speed and totality of which has been called “miraculous” —  even by those who say “I never use the word “miraculous” but given the injury you had to your frontal lobe [brain], that is what we are witnessing here.”  Today, I dropped him off to start his sophomore year at Carleton College.  6 months ago I wondered if he would ever be able to go back to college.  He is getting RE-started.  We got the “happy ending”.  And there is no “reason” our September is so different than the Septembers of the families of those 3 remarkable human beings who died other than the randomness of where the boys were sitting in the car.

He just turned 20, and has lost 3 dear dear teammates and friends.  The upfront, in your face inexplicable and cruel randomness of life is now a part of his story forever.  Yet, the miraculous rebirth of his brain, his bones knitting together, the life-changing ground swell of support are also part of his story–and of ours.  Our lives will never be the same.

So, now the “next step” in this journey starts.  One son at college.  One son now a senior in high school: Take Two.  A working mother with a wonderful and robust career, a supportive and loving husband of 27 years, amazing friends and family and community — all “Take two”. 

I start this blog to reflect on life “beyond Caring Bridge”.  Conor’s story is his own now to tell.  I see this blog as a way for this Mother to reflect on the intensity of the last 6 months — and how it integrates into life moving forward.  Inevitably, it will also pull in history, and “roles” beyond parenting – as we are all so many roles simultaneously.

So, I am starting.   New to blogging.  Open to the evolution.  Here we go.