On the fourth of July, 2007 Caleb Potter was involved in a skateboarding accident.
He suffered serious injuries and continues to need all of our positive thoughts and prayers.
This blog is to serve as a space for updates on Caleb's journey of recovery.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Blessings

The bloggin babe is back again- just trying to settle in a bit - tho this time without the additional appendix problems or any other maladies that might be hulking about out there! Caleb is home - that is the best news... we arrived here the day after Thanksgiving and have finally settled into a pattern of daily living. Caleb has traveled into town a couple of times to visit with friends and to dissassemble his gifts around the cannon. His language is improving. He is strong physically and is making more sense of the world around him. In short - we are happy to be home. I must say that this community strikes me as no other - the entire town seems to rally behind us and we feel the energy. It is so easy to find myself thinking about the what-ifs and I have shared these feelings with Kai and Max who also do their share of second guessing, but we are finding it more helpful,if not necessary to consentrate on what we do have and what is rather than wasting our time on the past. In that regard, being home has been perhaps a bit more difficult for me - it is a constant reminder of who Caleb was as we face the unknown of who he will be. One thing I can tell you is that his golden personality shines through at all times. He is eager to work, he is smiling more often than not and he is grateful to any one who is present with him. He is a gift to us and we intend to make the best of what life has dealt to us and to remember that all that is important is the here and now and that we are loved. We could not have done this without each and every one of you out there. Life is good. Blessings, Mumsie

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome home Von Lindsey-Von Potter family, welcome home.

Alexandra Grabbe said...

Welcome home, Sharyn & Caleb. Thank you, Sharyn, for writing this blog and reminding us all of how precious life is. Sven & I really admire your strength and tenacity. Please keep us posted on Caleb's continued progress. XOXO

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharyn. So glad to hear that all is going well and that you are back to your domain and settling in comfy cozy as the weather begins to cool. It amazes me to see how a life changing event can mold and re-assemble a family. You have learned to support and depend more on each other, to be each others crutches; holding each other up when you were ready to fall, and you are all better people for that. And, in times of dispair and uncertainty you have stood tall and fought it through. It is inspiring to say the least, and I hope that someday when I have children I can be as giving and strong as you have been through all of this. Miracles happen every day and it is more than words can say to know that Caleb has pulled through!! YEAH, BILLY!! Everything will be just fine. Keep your heads up!! Happy healthy holiday season to you!!
Corey

Anonymous said...

You sound so good Sharyn, and the positive vibes from the town will just keep getting better and better for all of you.
I am not an overly religious person, but I do believe in the power of prayer, the power of positive thinking making everything better.
Can the doctors tell you if Caleb will be back to 100% and his old self, or is it too early to tell.
I have dealt with a family member who had a stroke, but a true brain injury is new to me.

Blessings and Peace to you all

J

Unknown said...

Hi Sharyn,

So glad to hear that you are all home and getting into a routine of the new normalcy. All we really know for sure of this life is the present is the moment, the "what ifs" are a waste of your energy, we cannot go back, we can only go forward....the "what is" is the true reality, the beauty of the moment, the lessons that we are all learning.

Wellfleet is truly the "little town that could" and I recently saw an amaxing movie called-
Lars And The Real Girl, which reminded me so much of your community, and the unconditional love and support that your family has received. I highly recommend that everyone see this movie, it is remarkable, it is what this journey for the Lindsay/Potter family has been about. It is about LOVE in the purest sense of the word. Sharyn, I know that movies are proably the last thing on your mind these days, however, if you can manage to see it, it will feed your soul.

Much love to all, especially that strapping, gaining strength young man we have all come to love, named Caleb.

Audrey

Unknown said...

Hi Sharyn,

So glad to hear that you are all home and getting into a routine of the new normalcy. All we really know for sure of this life is the present is the moment, the "what ifs" are a waste of your energy, we cannot go back, we can only go forward....the "what is" is the true reality, the beauty of the moment, the lessons that we are all learning.

Wellfleet is truly the "little town that could" and I recently saw an amaxing movie called-
Lars And The Real Girl, which reminded me so much of your community, and the unconditional love and support that your family has received. I highly recommend that everyone see this movie, it is remarkable, it is what this journey for the Lindsay/Potter family has been about. It is about LOVE in the purest sense of the word. Sharyn, I know that movies are proably the last thing on your mind these days, however, if you can manage to see it, it will feed your soul.

Much love to all, especially that strapping, gaining strength young man we have all come to love, named Caleb.

Audrey

becky said...

This brings such happy tears to my eyes! Thank you for touching my heart and life!

Anonymous said...

There is plenty of healing yet to come for Caleb. As the mother of a disabled child I can tell you that "if onlys" should be left behind immediately. Focus on all of the ifs that got him back to where he is now. If he survives, if he opens his eyes, if he can move, if he can sit up, if he knows me, if he can speak, if he can walk, if he can get home to Wellfleet, if he can walk to Dyer Pond, if he can visit his friends there are lots of more ifs ahead for Caleb...Suzanne

Jeff- in the Berkshires said...

The "present" is a gift. You are wise to try to stay there and not to second guess. Visit the past but stay with the gift that is in front of you.

Life is good!!

Sharyn, as a parent I would also be doing the what ifs. You just have to remind yourself, as I would hope someone would remind me, and as do Max and Kai that it is completely wasted energy. Even if they could turn back the clock there is no certainty that they would have been able to change anything.

What is important is that Caleb is doing better, that you are home and that the sun is shining brightly today.

Jeff

Anonymous said...

I love you Sharyn, Caleb, Kai, Max, and Jennie- you are always in my heart of hearts.

Anonymous said...

So glad you are all home and well. Think about you every day and Caleb will be who he is and you will love him for it. Worry is a bad use of the imagination, so go with it and love each day.
Ali Manchester UK

Anonymous said...

So glad to hear you are home and feeling like things are becoming a bit more "normal"...you are so right...forward motion is the best and each day we wake up we are thankful:) I think we all need to spend time "just being" and embrace the fact that we can do that...God Bless you all and your wonderful supportive community you are truly lucky people to be surround by so much love...peace from Annapolis MD.

friend said...

Your family is the real blessing Sharyn! Your boys have befriended practically everyone they ever met anf their kindness spreads throught their friends and so on. Indeed, being a part of this town has also brought out the good in me too! I have let my bitchy guard down and let the real me shine on for years now. When push comes to shove, its hard for me to fit back into my bitchy shell; it seems I have out grown it. Thank you for your dedication to your kids, their friends, your town and all the bloggers. Sorry about the softy in me, she sure comes out from time to time. I love you so much! Great update on Caleb. His smile is what kept us fighting all summer, and why we continue to follow him in his path of recovery!
Unity & Blessings~ soaring hawk xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharyn,

I miss you. I've got one more week of school and then a whole month off! Dude, I cannot believe it. It's too good to be true. If Mike can get an extra day off work after xmas time then we'll be down to visit. Hope you're relaxing and taking time for red wine and long baths. If you need a good book to read I highly recommend On Beauty by Zadie Smith- it is SO good. Say hi to Kai, Caleb, and Max for me. Love you, Katie

Anonymous said...

Sharyn,
Another thought on the what-ifs...of course they are not productive in the long run, but I agree with Jeff that it is natural to slip back there sometimes and then to be be gratful that you and your boys can take each other to the present. But I hope you keep in mind that you have been through so much for so long, and you haven't really had time to process the entire situation as a whole since you have lived so many days only one at a time. So I think it is somewhat normal to drift backwards and re-live some of the past 5 months because it was so traumatic and you haven't had the time to breathe. So if you drift back into the past in order to process, I think that may be natural and perhaps healthy, going backward in order to be able to go forward. And I guess I don't want you to be too hard on yourself. At any rate, you sound to me as if you are relieved and grateful and getting closer to where you need to be. Thanks for taking the time to get in touch with your cyber community. I hope you and your boys will continue to be well as your journey continues.
Mom in CT

blackbird said...

Happy,
thanks
and
giving...

Anonymous said...

Sharyn, Caleb and family, I am so glad to hear that you are once again home and feeling safely there. All the other posters have said what needs to be said about staying focused on the present and not the past. Life is always a journey from one unknown to the next. We never can predict where other paths may have taken us. We just have to follow the path in front of us.

Wishing you all well.
Amy from western MA

Anonymous said...

love you crazy lady

Clance said...

Hey family...
CALEB!!! Thanks so much for my lil b-day message, I sit here teary, completely content, & full of hope! You are healing, you are you, and it is so freekin fancy, and lovely! I know, I know A Clance in Fl is random, but it's where most of my family is right now, & it works for me. I can't wait to see you, but I guess I have to!

Sharyn, Kai, Max, Jan, Jennie.. love you guys. Thanks for reminding us all to give that lil extra support, remain patient, and honor life, & our surroundings...

Bless you all... have a great Friday Night, jig it up, rage it up, have fun.

XO.. Clance

Anonymous said...

hey everyone,i have a big "what if" to share.i had dinner with sharyn and caleb last night and was left alone for about fifteen minutes while caleb prepared for bed.tried to check the blog on sharyn's computer and discovered she was in the middle of this "post"we all read.so i wrote a couple of things i thought were hilarious(mostly at sharyns expense).well she caught on before she published it so i will have to laugh alone.caleb is doing very well and everyday has major changes in his social,mental,and physical conditions.we all have alot to look forward to and the knowledge of positive thought will and has helped incredibley.so my big "what if"is i could have finally convinced you all that sharyn uses stovetop.alas i am a man without a stuffing.luv timmy

Anonymous said...

Sharyn,

So glad your looking forward with positive thoughts. Much to my delight I saw Caleb on Town Hall lawn and also heard he went to Box Lunch with Jan. Also nice to see your smiling face around town even though you manage to give me your usual amount of grief!

We do have an incredible community here...The Potter/Lindsay tribe are a shining example of why that is.

Kevin

Anonymous said...

Sharyn, it has been a while since we have heard from you about how you and yours are doing. Thanks for bringing us up to date...for putting us all in the picture.
It is good to know that you are settling in and that you and Caleb are back in the folds of Wellfleet. Yeah.

All the best of the ( rapidly approaching) holiday season to you, Gail

Anonymous said...

Hello Sharyn,
And so this chapter comes to a close as you and your family step into a whole new world. Hope and dreams, anxiety, and fear of what is not known, are all part of the territory. The Potter clan is well equipped for the journey -- love, loyalty, strength, humor, spirit and will to name a few and a community who fiercely stands beside you and behind you. Light a candle to remember the past, and honor the present. The future will reveal itself in good time.
Lesa and Shelagh

Anonymous said...

It is so normal to think what if.....everyone of us has those thoughts in our heads about the moments in our past that changed our paths forever....most of the time there is no point to the rehash of events, but if we can squeeze a bit of learning, a bit of wisdom out of the past, something to help guide us on our way through the present into the future, then those what ifs are not futile thinking. They can be powerful positive lessons. We can use them to our benefit, or ignore them at our peril. It all depends on our perspective....
Caleb still has much healing to do, and I believe he will surprise you with how far he will come back....everyday will bring improvement and change; revel in his life and living; he will always be himself.
All of you have come so far and have taught all of us so much, we are fortunate to be together.....
AS always, with hope,
peg from PA

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the movie tip Audrey, will definately put on my to see list when its out in the UK.
Ali

Anonymous said...

and as always- Peg from PA, you write the nicest things. I always enjoy your posts. Thanks for your insight. Cortney from Wellfleet

Anonymous said...

Hello Miss.Sharyn, :)
I'm very happy to hear that you are back at home and enjoying your time with Caleb and the boys. I am so excited to hear that Caleb is doing so well.

When my Hubby had his visit with the Lad last week, he said that Caleb was amazing to be around. He said that they went for a walk down near Keenies, and that they told stories and laughed. Chris said that Caleb remembered almost every story that he mentioned, and that Caleb seemed very content on his home land. I guess when they walked down the path, Chris said to Caleb,"Hey...I fell out of that tree right there", and Caleb relied,"I fell out of that one over there...lol!" I think that it's wonderful that even the littlest of past memories are coming back to him, because they will trigger more memories, and more, and more, and......

And Sharyn, don't ever forget that I/WE are here for anything that you ever need us for(A grocery store trip, Landscaping, Spending time with Caleb, etc....Anything). Please, don't hesitate to call. We are only a hop, skip, and jump from you, and would love to assist. :)

<3 Nicole, Judith, and Little Caleb

Anonymous said...

dear sharyn,
i am thrilled beyond words that the lindsay/potter family is back home and that caleb is out and about and smiling!!!!!how great that he remembered the tree he once fell out of, but of course knowing caleb, maybe he just jumped to make a leb statement!!!
i have many a comment on the what-if's and why, but will save them for another day...

p.s. can't beleive timmy is still trying to sabatoge your stuffing recipe!!!!

peace, love to all..

Anonymous said...

Blessings to you and your indomitable spirit. "Life is indeed good."

Patty

Anonymous said...

May you all be happy and warm in this chilly wintery weather. Love, from afar.

Anonymous said...

I am so happy that you and Caleb are settling in at home. I can't imagine a better situation than being in familiar surroundings and having family and close friends around to jog your memory. This healing process will go on at it's own pace but he is healing and that's the great thing.
P.S. Timmy, most families stuffing recipe starts with something store bought but then we usually add things and make it our own. My family adds finely chopped celery, minced garlic and chicken broth.

Anonymous said...

You know those what ifs can go so far back in time as to erase our beings completely. We have no control over what happens to us , it is how we react to those happenings that defines our present and future. We can only keep on the road feeling our way through the darkness, with fingers and toes if necessary at times, to find what our future holds.
If only I had said this or that, or had done this and not done that.......if only that had never happened, why, why why....god we could drive ourselves crazy. Life happens, and we are really not in control much as we would like to think we are.
Any how, those are my musings after too much wine. in vino veritas they say....I am trying to distract myself from waiting for results of biopsies taken from both of my breasts, that I have been trying not to think about for the past 3 days.... it is too much suspense for me, and I guess I need to share.
Sorry, I know this site is for Caleb, but I am frightened, and I need to give my family and friends here in PA a break.
Thanks to all of you sweet folks for hearing me this night.
As always, with hope,
peg from PA

Anonymous said...

O Peg, I am so sorry. Waiting is the hardest part.I have been there and discovered that so many biopsies are just in case, of course it is good to be safe but it's really hard on us women who have to have them.I hope yours is one of those necessary but negative ones. Sincerely, Susanna

Anonymous said...

Hang in there, Peg. Have my fingers crossed and saying prayers for you!
Cortney

Anonymous said...

I agree with Peg, how we react to life is the only thing we can control... and sometimes it's just hard. Hard not to give the what if's a round or two in your mind. We're all humans being, well, human. Sharyn, you certainly don't need any instruction on how to handle life and its adversities, you've been such an inspiration to all of us... just know we all go down that road now and then, no need to beat yourself up.
I have a son with intellectual disabilities and I often imagine how different our lives might be IF.....
then I pull myself back and keep on keeping on...
Sometimes I wish I was a bear - just so I could go hibernate for a few months and not think.
Prayers and wishes for a good outcome to Peg.
...we can't return we can only look behind from where we came and go round and round and round in the circle game.....

Anonymous said...

Peg, although this site is for Caleb and his family, it seems his "family" can include all the cyberspace friends who sent their love and support these last months. We've all benefitted from the ripple effect of the love demonstated by and for the Potter/Lindsey family. Healing, peaceful thoughts and prayers are sent your way, as well as Caleb's.

Anonymous said...

Dear Caleb and Sharyn, it was so great to see you last weekend. And everyone else at the house that day. I hope to see you tomorow if theres room for more friends and stopn by. But if theres a bliizzard or too much going on i will see you sooner than later. Thinkin of you always and forever. Love Grace

Anonymous said...

on this chilly night, it is heartwarming to think of all the Von Potter/Von Lindsay tribe safe and snug in their wigwam. (And of Timmy still being mischievous!) So glad to hear that Caleb is healing;Sharyn, I hope Mumsie is taking time for Mumsie as well. Peg from PA, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Anonymous said...

Welcome home again, Sharyn, Caleb and crew. May this be your last homecoming, unless it's from a much needed vacation. I agree with the Mom in CT about having to go backwards to process all the traumas you've been through. I would guess you will be doing that for awhile so cut yourself some slack. You've been so busy making important decisions about everyone's care that you didn't really have all that much time to "feel". Plus you also need to heal from all this..not just Caleb. I'm so glad Caleb gets stronger everyday. You are really a very lucky and blessed family because you have so much love from your family and community. You still have Caleb to love and he's very much there with you. What blessings!! I will pray for Peg. Having to go through that anxiety really stinks. If it worked for Caleb, it can work for her!! Love to all,
Sue

Anonymous said...

this is for Peg, who awaits...

The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi 1207-1273, written in 1230

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Dear Caleb,

Couldn't be happier to hear that you are now back with your precious family, friends and famous Spudly, the slobbering Dog (they're the BEST kind)! PLease remember that we (your extended "friends & family")have you close in thought and prayer, and know that healing is an individual activity, but feel quite assured that you are making progress every moment of every day. WE also know, what a Blessing you are to your family, and how proud they are of all that you have accomplished, and will accomplish. They love and adore you, and everything about you.

It gives me great joy to know that you are in the presence of the peole you love SO much, and that they are there for you in any way you need them......There is nothing Greater than LOVE.

Enjoy this Season of Joy, Peace, Love and Renewed Health, and know that we all stand beside you, for as long as you need us.

You and your life have given us renewed Courage, Hope, Humilty and Grace to deal with whatever comes our way.

Blessings my friend, Love and Blessings Abundant to you and your beautiful family...yes, Spudly too.

In Gratitude for so much,

Melinda and Mari

Anonymous said...

Welcome home Caleb and Sharyn! Bruce and I have you in our thoughts and prayers every day.

Anonymous said...

Hello, I really dont know where to post any messages on this or anything, but maybe this is an appropiate spot. I've been meaning to comment on this blogspot for a really long time. I go to Cape Cod every year atleast once. This year when I went in mid July, i noticed all the signs along 6 in Wellfleet. I didnt know what they were for but later read about Caleb in boarstiff. The next day i was walking through the woods right after Tim's bridge. I saw writings in the dirt that read come home soon caleb and get better and such. Ive sparacticly checked this blog over the months to see how Caleb was doing, and I always mentioned him in my prayers. Im 16 and from NJ and i think what the community has done is tremendously impressive. I don't think that if anything like this happened in my town the community would be so close or work together to benefit someone who really needed it. It truly is amazing. Anyway it is good to hear that Caleb is home and doing well. All the best, Andrew