A few weeks ago, my family experienced the true meaning of the often-heard expression, “life is so fragile.”  Our 3-month-old grandson was in the Pediatric ICU with a dangerous respiratory virus, RSV, and was fighting for his young life with all his strength.  My daughter would call me with frequent updates on his condition as my husband and I cared for her two other young children at their home and prayed for a miracle.

We were brought to our knees (literally) by the roller coaster ride of the next several days as our Baby Jude would make a bit of progress and then slip backwards again.  In his short life, our newest grand baby had already brought our hearts so much joy and to be faced with losing him was more than any of us could fathom.  The phone calls with my daughter were filled with intense emotion, and tears as we discussed the medical updates on his condition.  We quickly realized it was time to ask for prayers for Baby Jude from our family and friends.  Within hours we were being showered with love, prayers, support, encouragement, and offers to help, bring food, etc.

What I have learned by now is how powerful the connection of friends and family truly is during the firestorms of life.  Thankfully, our prayers were answered and Baby Jude finally turned the corner and started improving.  God granted us a miracle and our sweet baby came home after a week in the hospital.   Cradling him in our arms now has taken on a new significance and seeing him smile at us again melts our hearts.  He is on his way to a full recovery and to say we are forever grateful is an understatement.

August is the month we celebrate National Girlfriends Day.  This is a perfect time to share my deep gratitude for the abundance of love and support that my tribe of friends showed to me and my family during this recent crisis.  Love comes alive in a powerful way during the storms of life.  Our Baby Jude is living proof of that!