grieving

I remember like it was yesterday. The day of her diagnosis and the paperwork (they showed us) there in black and white penned in was written “mild mental retardation with autistic features”. I was at a complete loss of words. Occupational and speech therapists became regular visitors at our home in order to an effort to retrain Brooke’s mind. But, in my eyes it just never seemed to happen. And, slowly, Brooke became the mysterious one in our family.
In a very real way, she became a reflection of the greater mystery of God. Deut 29.29 says “The secret things belong to the Lord God…” Brooke, my new Africa, had become my greatest fear, and my silent cry. I soon forgot about all the elephants that made me smile. (from my book, Little by Little).