July 2011, Nashville, Tennessee~
Aasha Singh writing. Thought that an update was in due order, so here goes ...
Manjeet is still working hard at his job at the local hospital; sometimes he works upwards to seven days a week. Sometimes i don't see him for a week: his patients and the demands placed upon him keep him at the hospital. When he does come home all he wants to do is watch television, drink beer, and relax.
He has been rather testy lately; best to stay out of his way until he simmers down somewhat ... at times, it's like walking on eggshells ...
Happily, though, Vida Chunarum is thriving. She just completed Grade Five at school: did really well, too. Scored straight A's in all of her classes. She is very smart, just like her papa; we couldn't be happier for her! She is enjoying summer break from school and is having the time of her life playing with her friends and doing a lot of swimming to keep cool during these hot days!
Our son, meanwhile, remains about the same. No real change in his overall condition (and the doctors continue to remain guarded about his prognosis). He is doing as well as can be expected, considering that he will remain severely disabled for the remainder of his days. He is now six and a half but has the mindset of an infant. He accidentally hung himself five years ago while playing and suffered catastrophic damage to his brain. We visit him every week at the home, to ensure that he is being well taken care of by the staff, who attend to his needs.
Thankfully there haven't been too many problems, other than infection or a few rounds with pneumonia.
Do we miss having Sanjeet wih us? Every single day. I still am plagued with a sense of guilt deep inside. I still wonder if there was anything I could have done differently to prevent Sanjeet from getting injured, but now that it's happened, all I can do is pray for him to our god and hope that there will continue to be good people in his life to help him whenever he needs it most. I still grieve over the old Sanjeet verses the new, but family, friends, and my counsellor have helped me move on.
I am a functioning, vibrant human being again, though there are days where I sitill get sad about what has occurred in my baby boy's life.
Vida is so good with her little brother. Whenever we go to see him, it is she who sings to him, cuddles him, or reads stories to him. She is very accepting of what has happened; Sanjeet has given our daughter a deep empathy for people who are disabled or brain damaged. That is a good thing, really: many other people aren't nearly as accepting as she is.
I get sad whenever we take Sanjeet for a walk on the building's grounds: people stare, whisper amongst themselves, or point at Sanjeet as if he is an object to be pitied instead of a human child who happens to be disabled, and it truly saddens me, each and every time. I just wish there was a magic wand that I could wave to turn Sanjeet back into the laughing little boy he was before The Hanging. I want nothing more for him to walk, talk, sing, or run again!! To see him get out of his wheelchair would be the most happiest day of my life!
This is what I dream of, every day.
Well, I have to get Manjeet up; meanwhile, I am going to go back to bed. I tossed and turned all last night; I could not sleep. I will write in here agin with another update; until later, this is Aasha Singh saying so long! May you be blessed! Meanwhile, please keep us in your thoughts and pray for a miracle for little Sanjeet! He could definitely use one in his life! Thank you!
~Aasha.
