Language
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
  • Swedish

Insurance Funding Request

Did you know Firefly products may be funded by your insurance?

Learn More
Back to Firefly Blog

And so, we Laugh

And so, we Laugh

My home is full of many things. Children. Medical equipment. Noise. Pets. Medications. Medical pump alarms. Syringes…so many syringes. Imagination. Curiosity. Therapists and Social Workers. Teaching. Therapy tools. Meltdowns. Snack times. Tears. Dance parties. Diapers. Messes. Chaos. And laughter. So, so much laughter.

Parenting can be the hardest kind of work for anyone. Being the stay-at-home parent in a houseful of children with complex medical needs and disabilities can add some extra angles of both the hard and the beautiful. I love my life. It’s so much of what I dreamed of for the years before I had it and I feel I am firmly seated in the center of my life calling and passion as a mama to many with multiple diagnoses. Within that calling is a little extra dose of chaos than the average household, some extra hardships, and lot of extra wonderful.

Just like any other family, we have the best kinds of days, and we have days that are just plain hard. Some days, we cry, and we cry a lot. But sometimes, that doesn’t seem to be enough.

And so, we laugh.

One child has been up the entire night, two more children awake due to a feeding pump malfunction, and as I hear yet another child start to wail down the hall, I just laugh.

When we have been in the hospital for weeks with one child while juggling about a million therapy and medical appointments for the other children and we squint out eyes and look for the village that is supposed to come around those raising a child (or 7), we laugh.

We laugh when we try to make a trip to the library and can almost hear “Wrecking Ball” blaring around us as a personal family theme song among the stares and whispers.

When everything seems to be alarming, spilling, pooping, vomiting, and crying, my husband and I look at one another and…we laugh.

When someone says something so incredibly ignorant about one of our children, we confront, advocate, and angry cry. And then later, we laugh because it’s just too crazy that people say what they do.

We laugh because our life is so over the top it doesn’t seem like it can be real some days.

We laugh because we have run out of tears.

We laugh because our hearts are light as we behold miracles.

We laugh because laughing reminds us that we are in this together, even if the rest of the world feels so far away.

We laugh because we know how much we love this crazy life we live.

We laugh because as we look in the eyes of the child covered in bodily fluids yet again or into the eyes of a little one waiting for our response after they have finally calmed down from a meltdown, we know they look to us to speak to their souls about the little things being the big things.

We laugh because we are cynical.

We laugh because we can’t contain our joy.

We laugh because we are lonely.

We laugh because we can’t contain our sorrow.

We laugh because life is beautiful.

We laugh because we are so angry, we don’t know what else to do.

We laugh because it is how we connect, refuel, and how we remember we can keep going.

We laugh because we are exhausted and delirious.

We laugh out of nervousness because we aren’t quite sure how we fit into the circles around us.

We laugh because if we didn’t, we would lose sight of the things that really matter.

We laugh because there is no where we would rather be, and the contentment runs deep.

Laughter is a curious thing that often seems counter-intuitive. I believe it is one of the greatest gifts God has given us, whether laughter fits the situation or not. Laughter truly is the greatest medicine and with it flowing so freely within my wild and wonderful home, I know we are right where we are supposed to be.

Find something to laugh about today, friend. Make those around you wonder if you have lost your mind. As you take yourself and the madness and greatness of life around you a little less seriously, you might just find that you have found your mind in the midst of it all.

Firefly Blog

Real life stories, issues and experiences of day to day life by special needs parents and
healthcare professionals.

Micah Pederson

Meet Our Blogger

I am a mom to two children biologically and many children through foster care. My husband and I have been married three years. Our foster home is a specialized home for children with medical or special needs. I taught one year of special education before deciding to stay home with our many children. One of my greatest passions and desires is to be surrounded by individuals with special needs, loving them, learning from them, and advocating for them in world that often does not understand. I want to be a window and a light to show the world how amazing people with unique abilities are and I want to be a radiator of hope, joy, and unconditional love.

View Micah’s Profile

Become a Firefly Blogger

Would you like to write for Firefly? Join our blogger network of parents, therapists and professionals.

Get In Touch

Become a subscriber today

Join over 40,000 subscribers to our weekly newsletter with insightful articles just when you need them.

Join Mailing List

By using our site you agree to our use of cookies. Click here for more info.

Accept & Close

No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on

Purchases on $99+

US Customers only. Subject to credit approval. See terms below

Paypal Credit

Pay now or pay over time with PayPal Credit. Just use PayPal Credit in PayPal checkout.

Subject to credit approval.

Purchases of $99+:

No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on purchases of $99 or more.

  • A minimum monthly payment is required and may or may not pay off the promotional purchase by the end of the 6 month period.
  • No interest will be charged on the purchase if you pay it off in full within 6 months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the purchase from the purchase date at the Purchase APR applicable to your account.
  • For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APR is 25.49%. The APR is accurate as of 6/1/2018 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum interest charge is $2.00.
  • Individual items that are less than $99 qualify for special financing when combined for a total of $99 or more in a single transaction.
  • Multiple separate transactions of less than $99 per transaction cannot be combined to meet the minimum purchase amount.

Purchases of $98.99 or less:

Buy now and pay over time with PayPal Credit when you spend $98.99 or less.

  • If you pay your balance in full each month by the payment due date that is on your statement, you can avoid paying interest.
  • Or, make minimum monthly payments, or any additional amount of your choosing, until you've paid off your balance according to your standard account terms. Please note, interest charges may apply.
  • We'll send you email reminders when your payments are due. You can also keep track of your account and view your statements online at any time.

About PayPal Credit

  • PayPal Credit is a reusable credit line available on purchases at thousands of stores that accept PayPal. It's also available for purchases on eBay and exclusively at thousands of other online stores. Plus, it comes with the same security and flexibility you trust from PayPal.
  • If approved, we start you off with a minimum credit line of at least $250. See FAQs for more info.
  • For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APR is 25.49%. The APR is accurate as of 6/1/2018 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum interest charge is $2.00. See Terms and Conditions tab for more info.
  • If you miss a payment your late fee could be up to $38, even less if it's your first time. See FAQs for more info.

Please wait...