Jessica is 19 years old today

Jessica is 19 years old today. She was the most beautiful baby. She was smart and perfect. When she was 18 months old she lost her coordination, and her language. It was devastating. We spent years going from one Dr to another. No one could tells what had happened. How could a " normal" child lose her skills? It took 6 years to finally hear the words autism. And all our hopes, and dreams were destroyed. If it's true that God holds our tears in a cup of remembrance, he holds an ocean of tears for me. The loss was awful. Sometimes it still is. Last night Jess was so excited about her birthday, she could not sleep. She stayed awake until 3:30am, and woke again at 6am. I'm finding it hard to function on 3 hours of sleep. But I want to say this...
When Jess lost her voice, and we felt the loss of all "normal" hopes and dreams it was hard. I sat for years in a pile of broken dreams. The edges were sharp, and it cut deep to the heart. But after awhile you stop crying over what you had hoped would be. You start appreciating the pieces of what is there. Jessica's life is like a mosaic. She has soulful eyes, deep compassion, a large ability to understand character, humor, and sweetness. She is a broken person. Autism has broken her. It's robbed her of her voice. We only get to read glimpses of the complex thoughts she thinks. Often we are shut out all together. But she is lovely...all the pieces put together are lovely. In the book of 1 Corinthians 13 (talking about knowing God) it say “12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” What I see of my daughter is so beautiful, and I know I will be unable to speak one day because one day I will see her whole. This is my hope. Happy birthday my beautiful girl. I love you so much!