Trish Lawson's Blog

Can you believe that by the time this goes into publication the 2022-2023 school year will have already begun! How time flies! I pray everyone had a wonderful summer filled with fun, family and friends. I personally have enjoyed the Block Parties we have had here and am REALLY looking forward to our final one this year on Sunday, August 21st when Absolution, our special musical guests will be performing!(Please, come on out.)

The Lawsons decided to have a super low-key summer after last year's “excitement” and it got me thinking about all the low key summers I had with my family growing up. One of the best memories was going to Great America. We would take 2 vehicles and they would be packed like two sardine cans full of parents, kids, aunts, uncles, cousins, Papa, Gram and even Great Gram (boy was she was somethin’)! We’d head out, get yelled at for being too loud when Papa couldn’t hear his talk radio and the older cousins daring us littles to do things that would normally get us the evil side eye from another adult…again THE BEST memories of being a kid in the summer!

We’d finally arrive at Great America, legs twisted like a pretzel because there was no way Papa was stopping for bathroom breaks! After a quick trip to the bathrooms, we were off and running to every game and every ride. All the big kids would wait in line to ride the roller coasters over and over and me, well I just turned green watching the ride from the ground! Seriously, if my Dad were here, he would take immense pleasure in telling the story of how a 12-year old Trish made the worker at a fair shut down the Ferris Wheel because she couldn’t handle it!

It wasn’t until our second trip to Disney with Johnny and Molly that I finally made it onto my first roller coaster ride because we do ANYTHING for our kiddos right? It was the Slinky Dog roller coaster which is pretty tame but to this chicken it was terrifying! Finally, it was our turn and I could not let the kids see how freaked out I was so, I just smiled, locked myself and Molly in, and prayed that God would spare this poor girl! (Y’all I am seriously laughing to the point of tears over here just writing this out!)

Ok, so the ride begins and it is not too bad, then we slowly lean back and start going straight up, hit the peak and come rushing down and in that moment I say to myself, “yep, this is the day I meet Jesus face to face!” But then something else happens, I close my eyes and smile with my arms straight up in the air with the feeling of uninhibited freedom. It was so awesome that we went on Slinky Dog another four times at MY request!

Thinking about the roller coaster and how it compares to my life, there are definite similarities. As this goes into publication, another big memory comes to mind. On August 24, 2021 I will be CELEBRATING (yes celebrating) my 1st “Ampu-versary.” One year ago on this day, I took back my life by making the most life altering decision ever, undergoing a Trans-Tibial Amputation. That day was a day of freedom for me: free of constant unimaginable pain, free of uncomfortable boots and shoes, free to be the person who has been held back. To say that this decision did not come with some twists and turns, ups and downs and the all famous loop de loop, would be a lie. In those moments, I simply let the moment happen, take a deep breath and remind myself of where I was, where I am and where I go from here. I don’t make time for second guessing and what if’s because letting those thoughts take up residence in my head clouds up all my relevant thoughts.

The day I realized that I could no longer handle the painful burden my injury was causing was such a profound day. I was In Myrtle Beach on vacation with my Mom and Molly and I just wanted to get on the sand and in the ocean. It took more energy than I can tell you for me to walk down, stand for a few moments and have to go back up and sit because the pain was so intense. I sat by myself at the pool with sunglasses on and just cried. It was the last time I cried sad tears about my foot. In that moment, I heard a voice in the salty warm breeze say “give this to me” and this sense of calm and understanding came over my head and my heart. It was at that moment that I made the decision that what comes next will be the right decision (and I never looked back).

My story was written way before I was born and although some chapters have been awful, there have been many beautiful ones as well, each with its own life lesson. I may not know how my story ends but I will continue to keep my hands and feet inside the ride at all times and see where it takes me!

Much love always,

Trish