Today was a really good day. It was quiet for a little while this morning because the kids were gone for a couple of hours, so Corey and I got some much needed "us" time. When they got home we goofed around a bit before their nap, and while they were napping I went grocery shopping alone. I rarely get to browse so slowly up and down the isles because I am often too busy watching for things to be sneaked into the cart and stashed underneath other items in hopes I won't notice before paying for them. It was nice... I must admit. However, it did cross my mind a few times (as one could not help with the events of this week) that I had to hurry home and kiss those faces just in case tomorrow did not come.
If there is one thing that we need in this ever changing world, it's courage. We go to work every day surrounded by people with road rage, people who multi-task while driving, yack on the phone with clients, business colleagues, friends, family, or bill collectors; practically doing everything BUT paying attention to the road... ( I am guilty as charged, for my car is often my office.) We are courageous to step out of our doors and into a car for that reason.
We then drive our children to school and drop them off into the hands of teachers, and administrative staff or perhaps put them on a bus and wave as the driver drives off with them in their care, no seat belts, no airbags... assuming that they will be safe. We go on about our day, and arrive at our workplace, we begin our daily grind and hope for a fast-paced day so we can be home sooner than later. We then get back in our cars, sit in traffic, check emails as we turtle crawl home, experience even worse road rage than we did that morning because now there are people that have had a "bad day", all without thinking of the negative things that could happen at any second. We arrive home, kiss our families, go through our motions of the evening, sleep... wake up, and do it all over again: day in, day out. All of this is second nature, but all of this takes courage.
We may not stop long enough each day to pay close attention to certain details... or at least I admit that I am guilty of this. Although my intentions are always good, I sometimes forget to give the kids or Corey that special kiss in the morning because it is often hectic trying to get everyone off. I have forgotten to say I love you a time or two and I know that although I intend to every day, I may not think to wish them all a good day. My eyes opened up this weekend, I thought about many things as I for once actually sat and watched the news updates on the massacre in Connecticut. I recalled how I felt just a few months ago,when a young gunman killed all those people in that Colorado movie theater, and the sick feeling I got realizing that my oldest daughter who lives not too far from where it happened could have been there. I thought about how the tragedy of losing a sister helps me realize some of the pain these people are going thorough, and I thought about how many things I unintentionally take for granted on a daily basis.
If all of this did one thing for me, it did this... I will wake up every day and see to it that I remember those hugs and kisses and those words of encouragement they need to have a good day at school and work. I will walk my 11 year old to the bus stop instead of simply assuming she is fine walking with friends because it is within a eye shot from the house. I will do this because it could be the last time I get to do it. I won't wake up with morbid thoughts in my mind everyday, or be paranoid or scared to send my kids to school or go to work, but the reality is what it is; we may not have tomorrow.
As life goes on and things happen to me and with the people and things that surround me, I am changing as a person. I am paying more attention and soaking in what I feel is being presented for the sake of a lesson. I believe that all things, both good and bad happen for reasons, for lessons... and when people ask where God is during horrible events, my answer will always remain the same; "He was right where you put him." Sometimes... we have to be woken up by a loud noise because we sleep through everything else, if he wants us to pay attention, he knows what shakes us. When our children are doing wrong, we must punish them, that does not make us absent, or hurtful, or bad, it makes us a good parent and although we don't like it... it's necessary. Perhaps we are doing something wrong and we need to wake up and absorb the lesson here, at least that's what I am thinking.
Goodnight everyone, may you sleep well tonight and may the noises that surround you be peaceful.
On the forth day of Christmas this blogger gives to you, more inspiration, a moment of silence, two thoughts to ponder and a blog post to share with your friends.
We then drive our children to school and drop them off into the hands of teachers, and administrative staff or perhaps put them on a bus and wave as the driver drives off with them in their care, no seat belts, no airbags... assuming that they will be safe. We go on about our day, and arrive at our workplace, we begin our daily grind and hope for a fast-paced day so we can be home sooner than later. We then get back in our cars, sit in traffic, check emails as we turtle crawl home, experience even worse road rage than we did that morning because now there are people that have had a "bad day", all without thinking of the negative things that could happen at any second. We arrive home, kiss our families, go through our motions of the evening, sleep... wake up, and do it all over again: day in, day out. All of this is second nature, but all of this takes courage.
We may not stop long enough each day to pay close attention to certain details... or at least I admit that I am guilty of this. Although my intentions are always good, I sometimes forget to give the kids or Corey that special kiss in the morning because it is often hectic trying to get everyone off. I have forgotten to say I love you a time or two and I know that although I intend to every day, I may not think to wish them all a good day. My eyes opened up this weekend, I thought about many things as I for once actually sat and watched the news updates on the massacre in Connecticut. I recalled how I felt just a few months ago,when a young gunman killed all those people in that Colorado movie theater, and the sick feeling I got realizing that my oldest daughter who lives not too far from where it happened could have been there. I thought about how the tragedy of losing a sister helps me realize some of the pain these people are going thorough, and I thought about how many things I unintentionally take for granted on a daily basis.
If all of this did one thing for me, it did this... I will wake up every day and see to it that I remember those hugs and kisses and those words of encouragement they need to have a good day at school and work. I will walk my 11 year old to the bus stop instead of simply assuming she is fine walking with friends because it is within a eye shot from the house. I will do this because it could be the last time I get to do it. I won't wake up with morbid thoughts in my mind everyday, or be paranoid or scared to send my kids to school or go to work, but the reality is what it is; we may not have tomorrow.
As life goes on and things happen to me and with the people and things that surround me, I am changing as a person. I am paying more attention and soaking in what I feel is being presented for the sake of a lesson. I believe that all things, both good and bad happen for reasons, for lessons... and when people ask where God is during horrible events, my answer will always remain the same; "He was right where you put him." Sometimes... we have to be woken up by a loud noise because we sleep through everything else, if he wants us to pay attention, he knows what shakes us. When our children are doing wrong, we must punish them, that does not make us absent, or hurtful, or bad, it makes us a good parent and although we don't like it... it's necessary. Perhaps we are doing something wrong and we need to wake up and absorb the lesson here, at least that's what I am thinking.
Goodnight everyone, may you sleep well tonight and may the noises that surround you be peaceful.
xoxo
~Shells~
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