Winter has definitely set in here in Rettland. Too many girls are in the hospital right now. Fighting infections, pneumonia, and gi systems that won’t support the girls like they need to. Claire was purple for too long this morning as her body was controlled by dystonic contractions. It feels like the periods of beauty and daylight are so much shorter in times like this, much like the cold winter days. Yet, the beauty is still there. Like sitting inside next to a warm fire, looking out into the cold, yesterday Claire was so vibrantly alive. For the 5 minutes of a carriage ride at a Christmas party her body gave her complete relief. Her muscles relaxed, her breath was gentle, her smile bright as we rode and listened to the bells that hung from the horses neck softly jingling. For that moment, it all felt right in the world. I forgot about all the harsh elements to life in that moment, the grief, the exhaustion and all of the other hard. It won’t be winter forever. I hope that if you are feeling stuck out there in the cold, weary and out of energy that you get a warm moment too. Hang on, it won’t be winter forever.