Wunderbar

There are so many blessings that come in life with Teddy, and one of those is the friendships and support from our PIGN community. We're a small group of perhaps 50 families at most, so several of us know many by name. We root for each other, we pray for each other, we celebrate successes and shed tears for losses. 

This week we got a package from Germany. A mom there found my blog not even a year ago, but it feels like we've been friends for much longer. We connected instantly and have been "pen pals" via e-mail, sharing updates, pictures and videos. 

As excited as we were about everything in the package, including even the newspaper because it's written in German, of course, what's inside didn't matter as much as the thought, love and friendship behind the package. It was a hug in a box that thankfully the German postal service managed not lose forever, although they misplaced it for a while. 

Teddy was excited to get the package. 

Now, as we're sampling German Christmas cookies, we're feeling the love from Germany. AJ already built his LEGO set, and we have delicate ornaments that we'll always remember how we got them. Our favorite item is Teddy's little V-tech train that goes perfectly with the rest of his collection. Except this one speaks in German and has feuerwehrauto written on it instead of firetruck.

Of course he licked his feuerwehrauto.

The excitement of the German package led AJ to bring home a new library book from school the following day: My First German Words. Gosh, I love that kid's desire to learn.

AJ was a bit disappointed there was no German writing on his LEGOS.

So much good has come of Teddy's diagnosis, although sometimes it's tough to appreciate that in the tough moments. But this is a clear reminder that our world is not that small, and we're not in it alone.