#ItTakesATeam

Do you ever think about the people you rely on?
You know, the people that you think of right away to call, text, or write as soon as something is going on in your life?
Every one has a group, a circle, a TEAM of people around them that loves them, supports them, laughs with them, and cries with them.
But what if you feel alone. 
You don't know who is on your team.
You are going through something so big, so monstrous that you can't really think about it, much less share it with someone else.
THAT is when you need a team behind you the most.  

When we found out that our tall one was dealing with such a heavy issue, something we as his parents couldn't even put our brains around, we felt like we were in an isolation tower. 
We didn't understand what was going on, HE didn't know what was going on, and we had no idea how to help him.
The word? 
Schizophrenia.
WHAT?
WHAT IS THAT?
WHY DOES MY SON HAVE TO BATTLE IT?
HOW DO WE HELP HIM?

The first thing we did was education ourselves.  

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabiling brain disorder that has affected people throughout history.  People with the disorder may hear voices others don't hear  or see people that others don't see.

Then we cried. For days. Months even.
As we cried, we made sure that he was safe.
He was never alone.
We talked to him.
His coaches continually checked on him.
They texted him.
They came over to see him.

We got him in an amazing program, that included a therapist, a psychiatrist, and education for him and us.

He started medication.
He started seeing his therapist and doctor weekly.
It took time.
Months even.
Slowly, he started to come back to us.

He has a long way to go.
It's an every day battle.
He's learning to be courageous, to fight, to not be afraid to be who he is, to be honest with himself and others, and he's learning to not be ashamed.

He's learning that there are things he HAS to do, and others he doesn't.  He's learning limits.  He's learning that he will always have worth, that he will always achieve his goals, and that his dreams are always attainable.  

He's also learning about his team.  The valuable adults in his life that go to bat for him daily.  The team of people that have his back, that get creative, that rejoice in his successes and go back to the drawing boards when he backslides.

He has two parents who ADORE him and believe in him.
He has a basketball coaching staff that have stepped up, and seen his value as a person, and are teaching him the value of himself and his team.
He has a school team of educators that are supportive, give attainable goals, and are patient when he struggles.  They hear us and him and plan his schedules accordingly.
He has a therapist that is the coolest guy ever, and a psychiatrist that is always keeping tabs on his medications to make sure they are adequate.
He has a church leader that visits him, encourages him, and reminds him that God loves him and is mindful of him always.

That is the very inner circle, the daily circle of teammates that help lift our boy up.  This team is how he has come out of his shell, come out of his personal hell, and found some successes.  He has so much more to go, but he is seeing successes that he hasn't seen in years.  Without his team, we would never be where we are now.  

Everyone needs a team.  Who's on your team?  #ItTakesATeam