Last night I began thinking about updating my blog and planning the post that I was going to write in order to do so. I had two of my very best friends {in the whole world} here this weekend and so the obvious choice was to tell you all about them. To tell you how both of them were friends of mine since college, yet I feel as though I’ve known them since birth. To tell you that both of them are beautiful, talented, and amazing in their own ways. One is a kind heart that makes friends everywhere she goes, always open to accepting people just as they are. She loves traveling and cultures and learning new things. She inspires me to be more open and accepting and less scared of the unknown. The other, is a singer, a conductor, a musician…He has the ability to make the most beautiful music you’ve ever heard and he will be famous one day, of this I am CERTAIN! He is witty and funny and gets my humor. We can sit and talk and laugh and cry together for hours and it seems like mere seconds. They are both truly special people, near and dear to my heart, which is where they will always stay. always.
So, my intention was to type a nice long post about them and show you some fabulous pictures that I took of them this weekend. When I woke up this morning to feed the baby his early early morning bottle, I had a hard time falling back asleep afterward. I can only lay there so long before I start thinking about the things that I could get done with this time and I get up. This morning, however, I was particularly irritated at the fact that I couldn’t get back to sleep. As you can imagine, sleep is hard to come by these days and this morning, I just needed to get a liitle bit more. It wasn’t happening. So, tired and frustrated {at myself} I came downstairs and starting catching up on other people’s blogs. (Haven’t had a lot of time for that either lately!) As I was scanning, reading through my bookmarked blogs, I somehow clicked a link that led me to a stranger’s blog which led me to another stranger’s blog…etc. until I stumbled across something that was truly humbling.
A Sweet Stranger’s Blog
As I read through her post, I learned that this sweet family had a little girl who was completely healthy as of January 1 of this this year. The child went to the doctor for an ear infection that wouldn’t go away and they discovered that she had cancer. The doctors, the family and the child fought hard for roughly two weeks before that precious little baby went to Heaven. As I read her mother’s words of sadness and sorrow, yet tremendous faith, I was humbled. My heart and my tears just poured for this poor family, I cannot imagine what that is like. I cannot imagine the heartbreak of having a seemingly healthy child one day and losing her a few days later. I think it would be very easy for that mom to become deeply depressed and intensely angry, but she didn’t. Instead, through it all, I read several time where she thanked God for getting to be that baby’s mother and where she was thankful for the way her daughter’s short life will change someone else’s life. I was so sorrowful for this family but I was touched.
I think as a parent it is very easy to get caught up in life and to become frustrated at the day to day tasks at hand. I know in the short 7 weeks that I’ve been a parent, there have already been times where I’ve been frustrated or disheartened over something. It’s never at my child, more at the situation. Just like this morning, I was so irritated at myself for being up and not being able to go back to sleep. However, after reading her words, I am thankful. I will take a thousand mornings of getting up to kiss my son and share some time with him. She has reminded me to cherish every little thing in life and to realize that the seemingly tough tasks that are sometimes at hand, are really gifts in disguise. I am so thankful for my child and that he is healthy. I am thankful for every moment I spend with him, every kiss I am allowed to give him, and every smile he gleams my way. I am thankful that this mom was so faithful to God through her tragedy and I am thankful for the way she and her daughter touched my life this morning.
From time to time we all need a little reminder of the gifts in our lives.
Just though I’d share.
Be Blessed.
