A little piece of heaven

It’s called “Hold your kids tight and squeeze them with love while swinging in the hammock” therapy.

And my other favorite new therapy…it’s called

“Dress up, watch, and play with your baby until your heart bursts with joy” therapy:

From Collages

I remember the day Nathan was born. There was so much uncertainty about his life, about his future, about everything revolving Nathan. But there was no uncertainty in your heart. He was your boy. Yours to love and enjoy. Your little buddy. That first night while I lay awake in fear, you were deeply asleep with your boy in your arms, with nothing but love and acceptance in your heart. Our son could not have a better father.

From that day on I have watched as you have nurtured and cherished your boy in every way possible. Whereas some men struggle to accept life with a disabled child, you embraced your son without a moment’s doubt. I’ve never seen you waver from your stance as your son’s protector and best friend. From the moment this boy was in your arms you have shown him off with pride, you have shown him the world and the world to him, you have enjoyed him and played with him and shown him to love life. Our son could not have a better father.

You have worked tirelessly day and night to provide him everything he needs. This boy has never lacked due to your effort and dedication. While others sleep you work and you work and you work some more – all to ensure that your son has everything, and more, that he needs. You have sacrificed your own wishes to do everything in your power to help your son. All the while loving and accepting him just the way he is. Our son could not have a better father.

You have been his body, wearing him on your chest like a badge with pride. You have walked so he could see the world. You have run so he could know what it’s like to feel the wind in his face. You have hiked so he could know nature. You have worn him on your body like an extension of yourself. In your arms he has seen Europe, Singapore, Thailand, Colombia, Canada. In your arms he has played the drums, the guitar, played with cars, climbed jungle gyms, slid down giant slides, watched movies and tried all the rides at Disney. Through your body he has lived the fullest life any child could live. Our son could not have a better father.

And then there were 2. From the moment you knew there was to be another baby you experienced nothing but joy and anticipation. You knew you were in trouble the moment you found out you were going to have a little girl. Your little girl. And in trouble you are. From the moment you held her she melted into your arms. She knew whose arms she was in when she was just 1 week old and you held her up in your shoulders to show her the world. With you she opened her eyes wide for the first time, ready to take in the world. Every night you walk her around for hours so she can see everything, feel the wind on her face, hear the crickets outside at night. It was with you when she first cooed, with you when she first crawled on her belly, with you that she learned to be bossy and scream for attention. Our daughter could not have a better father.

When I dreamt of having children and imagined the father they would have, it wasn’t you I dreamt of. You surpass all of my waking dreams. You are everything I wanted for my children, and so much more. Your love, dedication, and devotion to your children is simply indescribable. Our children could not have a better father.

Happy Father’s Day to the bestest father in the whole wide world.

Today I read a book called “Your Inner Physican and You”, written by John Upledger, the guy who invented CranioSacral therapy. It was FASCINATING. For anyone who is interested in learning more about central nervous system function and how to improve overall physical and emotional health – I highly recommend this book.

Here are some of the highlights for me:

* Chronic conditions may be caused by subtle physical conditions such as positioning of the spine, skull bones, etc. For example, he describes reducing spasticity by working on cranial bones and the sacrum.

* There are emotional components to physical health. He describes a technique called somatoemotional release. By working with his hands he descovers areas of the body that have retained emotional trauma leading to imbalances.

* Subconscious memories can have very deep, long-lasting effects. He describes many stories of working with patients who’d had experiences when they were very young (one as young as 2 days old), and what they heard and felt changed their physical health for the rest of their lives. Think of all the things we do and say around our children that we don’t even think twice about?

* Intention matters. He describes the difference between healers is their intention and the belief in their work. He talks about healers who don’t really believe they can help, so they don’t. Then he talks about healers who have a profound belief in their work, so they have miraculous results. Intention also relates to the patient himself, therapists, parents, caretakers, etc. If we believe the person will not get better, it is likely he won’t. If we believe he will, he has a much greater chance of improvements.

* He talks a lot about hands-on healing and directional healing. He talks about simply using his hands to heal, without using specific craniosacral techniques. He describes feeling his hands heat up, and with this heat comes healing. He claims he has measured this heat and electrical responses when using his hands for healing and can scientifically proof the effect of hands-on healing. He also describes “directional healing” which means putting one hand on one side of the wound, and the other around the wound, and ‘sending” energy from one had to the other. This apparently causes healing.

Reading this book answers many questions I’ve recently been asking myself. Specifically:

– Why so some therapies work so well for one child, then you take another child and the therapy doesn’t help at all?

– Why do these very subtle therapies work so profoundly? ABR, Rolfing, ABM – they are all so subtle. Now I understand better. They are using energy to activate and strengthen the body. Most importantly they use energy to ignite the body’s self healing responses.

– Reading this book has given me a much better udnerstanding of ABR. This is exactly what ABR is – feeding the body and cells with energy. No wonder ABR is so effective!

– Why do I have to work on so many levels with Nathan? Because the body is so complex, and when the “quarterback” (the brain) doesn’t work, many things start to malfunction. If the craniosacral system isn’t working properly, many other bodily functions are negatively affected.

– Upldedger describes our Inner Physician – he claims we all have an inner physician that can help us heal. This is an innate desire to heal and improve. If you combine this inner physician with brain plasticity – then you can conclude that the body/brain always wants to learn and to improve. So what the lady from the Carter Centers told me about kids with holoprosencephaly not being able to improve – baloney. Perhaps it may require more effort and time and intensity – but kids with HPE are human and have craniosacral systems and inner physicians like everybody else, and the body’s tendency is to strive for healing. So if we provide opportunities, they will improve.

I have to admit I feel excited, encouraged, and so grateful that this book fell into my hands recently! I am more motivated and excited than I’ve been in a while!