When I was 15, my family received the blessing of adopting a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. We were so incredibly happy, but we all knew that it wouldn’t be easy. FAS can cause developmental and physical birth defects that are hard to pinpoint at birth. There is a long list of possibilities ranging from simple learning disabilities all the way to being dependent their whole life. It’s was scary knowing that “failure to thrive” was a very real possibility. With so much unknown, it was hard to see how this would pan out, but we knew it was right for us.
At six months old, we took in this tiny baby who had no one else. He was small and helpless. At six months old, he was barely the size of a newborn baby. For months, he never cried, making it a guessing game to know what he needed. But he became part of our family, and we became committed to helping him in whatever he needed. None of us knew how much of an impact he’d have on us, or that he’d change our lives, for the better.
Slowly he started to grow, and it wasn’t until he was two years old that he started to walk. It was such a breakthrough. Speech has taken even longer, now at age four and a half he can say small sentences, but even that is not consistent. He has a hard time communicating, and because of that, he gets angry. Even with all of these sad things, he still is one of the most adorable and fun little humans.
The way that he impacts everyone around him says quite a bit about what a blessing from God he is. His smile lights up the room, and his pain is felt through everyone he knows. No one expected that such a little guy could influence the feelings of so many people, but everyone this boy meets falls in love with him. Even at the grocery store, people stop and tell us how cute he is. People ask about him because they remember the cute little boy with glasses.
He has no idea that he is different than everyone else. He doesn’t see how hard he has it or that he goes through things normal four year olds shouldn’t have to. He doesn’t know that other four year olds are twice his size. He is content with the life he has, and he just smiles and dances through the hard times.
Having a sibling that depends on you and looks up to you is one of the most uplifting things in the world. Being the older sister to a special needs child changes you in a way you wouldn't expect. You become more understanding and caring when they doing something fresh, you learn how to comfort them and make them feel loved, in their own special ways. You learn to appreciate their quirks and differences. But overall, you learn to love in an entirely new way.
When people tell you that blessings come in disguise, believe them. No one could’ve expected his impact. It was hard to look past what challenge this could end up being. But it was worth it; now, we could never picture our lives without him.
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1. Drink lots of tea with honey.
Photo by Jessica Mangano on UnsplashDrinking tea always soothes my throat whenever I'm sick and adding honey will only help! Every kind of tea has its own personal benefits for you, so you can never go wrong with a cup of tea while sick. Different teas provide you with different nutrients, and the more nutrients your body has, the better it will feel. My personal favorite flavor of tea is vanilla honey tea.
2. Get a good amount of rest.
Photo by Isabella Fischer on UnsplashSomething my dad always tells me when I am sick is that "sleep is the best healer." I have to say, in my experience of getting sick, making sure that I am getting enough sleep has always helped in my process of feeling better. One thing to be careful of is to be sure that you aren't getting too much sleep because that could opposite effects.
3. Make an appointment with the health center or at a doctor's office.
Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on UnsplashIf you don't feel better in a couple of days, it is best to either make an appointment with the student health center or your doctor's office, or go to a local Urgent Care to see if you can be prescribed any antibiotics to help you get better. The important thing to remember about antibiotics is to also take probiotics to balance it out and to help you boost your immune system in the future.
4. Stock up on soup and crackers.
A lot of times, being sick also means having a weak stomach, so eating light foods like soup is always the best route to take until your stomach is strong enough for more solid foods. Also, try to eat toast or crackers with your soup to help settle your stomach.
5. If you are able to, go home.
Finally, staying in the dorms may be one of the factors in your lack of healing. If a parent can come and get you, or if there is any way for you to go home, you should take advantage of this. Don't worry about missing class, if you email your professors and/or have a doctor's note, they will most likely be understanding.
1.Shower
There is nothing more refreshing than a hot shower. Some would argue that morning showers help you have a happier day. Also, you look better and smell better. There is nothing grosser than greasy hair. And it keeps you healthier.
2. Sleep
After one all nighter during Freshman year, I realized that sacrificing my Zzzz’s was not worth it. In fact, I ended up forgetting what I had studied the night before, and it threw my whole sleep schedule off. That caused all of my classes to suffer.
3. Schedule
Showering and Sleeping are impossible when you don’t schedule. Your day probably has an element of spontaneity to it, however, it is still so helpful to have a basic timeline for your day. Some nights I’ll write each task I need to accomplish on a different sticky note. The joy at the end of the next day of crumpling each accomplished task is something you have to experience!
4. Eat Well
Nixing Ramen and nightly Domino's pizza orders will cause your personal health to skyrocket. Cutting down on caffeine will also help you sleep better. Water is also so important. With all the coffee that makes up a college student’s beverage diet, water gets overlooked. You’ll take one gulp of pure, ice cold drinking water and wonder where the heck this miracle liquid has been.
5. Exercise
Last semester, I was exercising sporadically or “when I had time.” Here’s the thing though, an episode of The Office is 20 minutes. I was watching plenty of that. At one point, I felt so freaking stir crazy and threw on my tennis shoes and walked through the freezing Ohio weather to the gym and exercised for like 40 minutes. I’m not trying to be a body builder or anything, but you just feel so much better after a few minutes on the stationary bike or eliptical.
6. Socialize
You need people. Friends are important. My friend and I both had crazy schedules last year, but we’d go to the grocery store together or to Wal Mart and catch up that way. It’s just good to sit and vent with someone every once in awhile. Midnight doughnut runs are also fun, or Mean Girlsmovie nights.
7. Be on Time
This one helps everyone’s productivity. Also, when you strive to be there on the dot, even if you’re a minute or two late, it helps you keep the rest of your life scheduled. Also, if you try to be on time, and plan accordingly, chances are you won’t be super stressed out trying to get somewhere 10 minutes away in 3 minutes.
8. Chillax
There is nothing wrong with kicking back and watching a few hours of a TV show. You need it. It’s important to take your mind off the real world for a little bit.
9. Journal/Pray/Reflect
It is vital to look inwardly and see how you’re doing, not just materially, but emotionally and spiritually. If you’re not emotionally doing well, something needs to change. It can be really hard to do well in other aspects of your life if you aren’t feeling well mentally. Journaling is the best free therapist out there, so is talking to a good friend.
10. Gain Perspective
Chances are, you know someone whose schedule is way more intense than yours. Or maybe you know someone who is going through a lot, but still manages to get a lot done. When I start to complain about my course load, I remember that my dad had four kids in medical school and residency. I also tr to remember that there are a lot of people out there who would love to "struggle" with too many classes. Doing something for other people can also really help make life more meaningful.
11. Do what works for you
By the time you’re 18, you know which study methods work for you, and how much sleep you really need every night. There’s going to be people all around you telling you how to live your life. And while there might be some really helpful pointers, only you can know what really works for you!You probably have some other ideas, but these seem to work pretty dang well!
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