1. Hope springs eternal.
  2. Kids, no matter what you bribe them with or tell them, will never welcome needles of any kind.
  3. Appreciate excellent Doctors. Compassionate ones. The calling. The training. Their understanding (okay, that’s several things).
  4. There’s a reason we say marriage vows. You know – that “in sickness and in health” part.
  5. Always follow your intuition. Even if it’s just a nagging little gut feeling.
  6. Teachers are the most underpaid and underappreciated people in the world.
  7. The capacity to bear bad news grows.
  8. The support of friends and family, long after the crisis if over, is an enduring treasure.
  9. If everyone in a random group of people put their problems on a table, I’d take my own back (Indian Parable).
  10. It’s okay to grieve a new symptom or treatment. It’s not okay to get stuck there.
  11. Appreciate that kids have a way of making you realize the world keeps going on.
  12. Appreciate surprise friendships born out of crisis.
  13. Keep copies of absolutely every piece of paper that has to do with educational and medical needs.
  14. Thank God everyday for the people in your life that make raising your children a little easier.
  15. And make sure to thank them too.