Keeping Perspective

We recently had sad news in our small town. Two young girls who graduated from our local high school a couple of years ago and were attending college had been out with friends last Saturday night. Both of these girls were riding as passengers in the backseat of a friend's car when they were stopped suddenly in traffic on the express way. The driver behind them did not see the traffic at a standstill and slammed into the back of the car killing both girls instantly.

Yesterday afternoon I was having lunch with some friends and we were talking about how sad it was for these families to lose their children. One of our friends shared that for one family it was even more tragic. In addition to their loss of their daughter, the Dad had recently been diagnosed with stage four prostate Cancer and only had a few months to live. Suddenly this family was thrown from dealing with one devastating event to another. I just looked at my friend and said "Sometimes we forget how truly blessed we really are".

My heart was breaking for both families and in that one moment I realized that all those little annoying things that my family will do that drive me crazy, are really no big deal. You forget in your day to day living, where your life's value really comes from. You think it's the new car or the trip you are planning or the new outfit you bought, but when you really open up your life and look at it, what matters most is the family and friends that you have and the time you spend with them, because in an instant they can be gone.

Recently I ran into an old friend and she was talking about how her Mom was not well, and unwilling to move closer to her so that she could care for her better. She hated the drive and did not know how to reason with her Mom about the issue. As I heard her talk, I thought about all the times I had been annoyed about driving across town 25 miles to check on my Aunt Nina. I just looked at my friend with tears in my eyes and said, "I know it's hard right now, but when she is gone you will miss this time with your Mom."

The truth is, it is just like the saying goes, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone." I hope I can keep this perspective and remind myself each time I get frustrated over something that means nothing. There are families faced with heartache and sadness everyday and while I am worried about whether my counters are wiped off or my children will grow up normal, they are dealing with burying their children and healing their loved ones. You may not get the chance for one more hug or one more chance to share time with someone in your life, so keep perspective and make the time while you can, because life can change in an instant.