Putting Things in Perspective--and Keeping Them There

Our little community has suffered several tragic blows this week.  Earlier in the week, there was another bad car accident involving more high school students; one young man did not survive, his sister was severely injured, and another young man has to live with the choices he made.  Lives changed forever.  My heart aches for their parents, their families, their friends, and the young man who was driving.  Awful.  Still reeling from that blow, we awoke this morning to learn a young girl we rallied around lost her fight with cancer during the night.  This dear child inspired our entire community with her perseverance, her will to fight, and the challenge she gave cancer.  She was amazing in life, and her legacy will live on long after her.

We are mourning, we are praying for the families involved, we are reaching out to love one another.

As always though, there are still those who choose to mumble and grumble.  Negative FB posts abound, pity parties are thrown, nasty things are said...  And we forget.  About perspective.  About the grand scheme of things.  We forget about the blessings we experience each day, beginning with being able to get out of bed and take a deep breath.  We forget about what we do have, forgetting about what others really don't have.

We take things for granted, we take our friends and families for granted, we take our children and our gifts for granted.  We forget to stop and simply enjoy the sunshine on our faces.  We hurry, we rush, we stumble through life wondering what the big deal is.  Everyone experiences a bad day at some point in their lives, but the truth is, it's what we do with that experience, and how we handle it.  We have the choice to mope, or move on--and in moving on, reaching our hands and hearts out to others in need.

I've been concentrating on the gifts I've been granted by my Father, really trying to be grateful for every day I've given, for everything in my life.  I don't want life to pass me by, and I don't want these children to have died in vain.  I want to take lessons from the way Sydney lived--the way she fought to live--and I want to mark the lessons made by the experiences of others.

Sunday night, Noah and I had words, but seeing him get off the bus Monday afternoon, intact, safe--I felt that hiccuppy feeling in my chest and I had to hold back sobs.  I was so grateful to see him, and we're both trying to do better.  Unlike another mom that afternoon, my son came home, and I was able to hug him.  That afternoon, I hugged Noah for all the moms who weren't able to hold their sons.  I was up until 3 this morning with a coughing, asthmatic Avery, but I was able to comfort him, and make him better.  I sang to him and read to him for all the moms who are no longer able to sing and read to their babies. And today, we just snuggled and played.  I'm so grateful for these chances to be their mom.  I'm grateful for the way they bless me, how they touch my life and make it better, even when they frustrate me.  I love these boys.

These are chances we are given.  We get to do these things.  Don't miss out.  Don't let life pass you by.  Don't blow it.  Enjoy every minute of it.  Soak it up.  Live fully, and gratefully.  Go hug your babies, and don't forget to tell your husband how much you love him, and how much you appreciate all that he does for his family.  Give that friend you've been thinking about that long overdue call and just listen.  Put your big girl panties on and keep life in perspective.