Brave Beads…

Both of our girls have them…
Little M’s is a necklace that she is beyond proud of.
Tiny P’s is a strand that’s too long to be a necklace. It’s just over twenty feet of beads…

Each bead stands for something. Some are for overnight stays, some are for needle pokes, some for x-rays and echoes…
And quite a few are for surgery. General surgeries, dental surgery, and the white squares with red hearts are for heart surgeries.

That big, red, glass heart with the pretty gold flecks…that’s the bead for heart transplant.

It’s a beautiful glass heart to honor the beautiful hero heart that beats inside my baby’s chest.

This long strand of beads will undoubtedly grow longer with time, and it will always be a reminder of what our baby goes through. It will remind us of how strong she is, and it will remind us to be brave with her and for her.

Our little M’s beads of courage are shorter, but no less meaningful. And when she talks about how they will be longer, and how she can’t wait to pick out her next heart surgery bead, I smile, hold back tears, and hold her tight…
She is so brave and strong, and even though I am secretly glad that her beads are not as many as her sister’s, I am so proud of her courage.

Little M has her next cardiology clinic in just four short weeks, and we are hoping that they will tell us to come back in a year. But we are also ready to hear that it is time for surgery…
Whatever happens, we are ready.
And so is our brave little M.