When your child is sick, your holiday will look different.
When you travel 11 hours in a car in one day with your sick child, your holiday will look different.
When four eye drops a day with an overtired child becomes your new normal, your holiday will look different.
When your child finishes every meal on your lap, your holiday will look different.
When your sick child’s nap gets cut short by their healthy sibling, your holiday will look different.
But when you finally let go of control, your holiday will be different.
Because Thanksgiving, Christmas, and every special family celebration aren’t about the perfect picture, the perfect meal, or the perfect child.
Holidays are about unconditional love and acceptance – the only gifts we give and receive that truly matter. And a sick child has this way of stripping us down to our base.
Who will we be when the most important eyes of all are watching?
Today, I chose gratitude.
*For more adventures, follow Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.
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One Year Ago: The Thanksgiving Torch
Two Years Ago: Dear Single Parent Student
Unlearning 
I remember a Thanksgiving similar to this 9 years ago. Our children were 1, 3, and 5. I was sick, some of the kids were sick, and I had masters degree work I was trying to accomplish around the holiday festivities. As I am now remarried with a 15 month old and a baby on the way, I am reliving some of these memories without as much travel. I pray for your little one. Thank you for reminding those of us who are parenting to see the blessings in the challenges!
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I am impressed that you can even recall that far back! Those times of struggle, they seem to resonate, don’t they? I sincerely appreciated the prayers and your kind words. I can imagine this time of year must be surreal given your little ones and all of your memories with those who are older. Big families yield big love.
Wishing you a beautiful holiday season!
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Hugs to you and your little one.
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Thank you! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving 🙂
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Uf- this sounds like our week BEFORE Thanksgiving – right down to the eyedrops (our first pink-eye. Yech.) Thanks for highlighting the blessing in it- the refocus on the really important things!
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Oh, no, not you, too! Eye infections are the WORST. There is always a blessing if we try to see it, I’m convinced. But, gah, the toddler sicknesses feel endless.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you’re anything like me you ate too much and blogged too little 🙂
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We did have a great Thanksgiving- thanks- and your description sounds about right lol! The leftovers are starting to run low, and I’m going to have to start cooking again… 🙂
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