It’s Graduation season. Nothing brings me to tears faster than the first few strands of Pomp and Circumstance. No matter the venue or whether I know one of the graduates personally, it’s such an incredible feat and brings to the forefront how long it takes to find success and how many people we need in our corner to pull off such an accomplishment.
As the celebratory photos are splashed all over social media, I often see parents utter this plea.
“Time, stand still.”
It’s a public admission that time is indeed fleeting; and our limited years with our children are flying by faster than we can remind ourselves to enjoy them.
If the truth be known, that’s exactly what we hope for as parents. For our children to learn all they can. To grow in wisdom, stature, ability and confidence. To create their own life with a means to support themselves and also honor God and those around them.
Time truly marches on and usually takes our children into adulthood right along with it. It’s a sign of a job well done by both parent and child and definitely should be celebrated.
But what if this isn’t the case?
What if our children are different?
I’m reminded of this phrase as I watch our little two-year-old special needs grandson. Logan was diagnosed with a rare syndrome that will limit his ability to grow and develop in typical ways.
He’s is an incredible little boy. With his full head of black hair, he earned the nickname ‘Baby Elvis’ when he was born, because he arrived with the longest sideburns I’ve ever seen on a baby.
Baby Elvis is about to turn three, but is still the size of an 18-month-old. His developmental milestones only come after months and months of therapy, and the reality is that some may not come at all.
For him, time truly does stand still.
Logan doesn’t know if it’s Tuesday or Friday. He doesn’t realize he’s about to celebrate a birthday, and his feeding issues won’t allow for a treat such as cake. In most ways, his birthday will be like any other day, and his pictures won’t look much different than those from last year.
Logan is non-verbal so far. Still, he’s mostly happy and content; even a little loud at times as he practices his consonant sounds. With his cousins, he stops them by pressing his hands against their chests so he can study them closely and claim them as his own. Logan prefers his home environment, where he’s free to safely roam and knows what to expect. He never stops moving and always has places to go.
Like other children, Logan does celebrate milestones as he starts preschool in the fall. Two days a week, his therapists will come to work with him at the school. But the timeline and expectations are different. At best, education is an experiment, and we are so thankful for such resources.
Only time will tell where life can take Baby Elvis. Our family knows we were chosen for him, and he for us.
God is using him to teach us to pay attention in different ways. Set aside pride, schedules, and the innate pull to compare ourselves to others.
Logan requires us to slow down.
Today, he brings me an electric toy drum and stretches my hand to the controls.
He wants me to enjoy this moment as much as he does.
He wants me to join him where time stands still.
And I will. 
Janet Morris Grimes may not have realized she was a writer at the time, but her earliest childhood memories were spent creating fairy-tale stories of the father she never knew. That desire to connect with the mysterious man in a treasured photograph gave her a deep love for the endless possibilities of a healing and everlasting story.
A 2022 Carol Award Finalist for her debut novel, Solomon’s Porch, Janet is also a writer/music reviewer for Nashville Arts & Entertainment and Crossroad Magazines. She is also a devotional contributor to Christian Woman, Power for Today, Inspire a Fire, and The Christian Pulse. Janet has featured stories in several anthologies, including The Spirit of Christmas and Sweet Tea for the Soul: Real-Life Stories for Grieving Hearts.
A wife of one, mother of three, and Tootsie to four, Janet currently writes from her quiet two-acre corner of the world near Elizabethtown, KY. As her debut novel and first children’s story have been introduced to the world, she can’t wait to follow the next breadcrumb of a story to see where it leads.
Stories that stretch your heartstrings.
An unforgettable combination.
Meet Logan, the handsome young man and the subject of Janet’s article.
If you haven’t read Janet’s book and want your copy.
You can find it on Amazon. https://a.co/d/aoOk7Ri
Dear Reader,
I stand amazed at the strength God gives us to carry out our caregiving responsibilities. With those tasks, love for God and others is the key to no regrets.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Blessings,
Loretta Eidson
I invite you to join my friend Tracy Crump’s monthly newsletter for caregivers. 
Caregiver’s Corner shares short stories of joys and heartaches along with tips now and then to help you survive this season and even make sweet memories. Together, we’ll cheer and encourage each other through the caregiving journey.
Tracy Crump knows from experience the burdens caregivers shoulder after caring for both her parents and her 100-year-old mother-in-law. A former ICU nurse, Tracy dispenses hope in her award-winning book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness Twenty-two of her stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and she has published hundreds of devotions, articles, and short stories in diverse publications such as Guideposts books, Focus on the Family, Woman’s World, and Ideals.
It’s amazing to me that the things others find impossible or to be sympathized, that we learn are a blessing given to us the chosen ones and the joy that others never get the to experience. I admire those that find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow which is often found in the eyes and hearts of a little one.
I couldn’t have said it better, Kay. You are absolutely correct.