Thursday, October 15, 2009

There is something you can do

This is Brian with another rambling thought. (I often have rambling thoughts when I'm still up after 1:00 a.m.) First of all, I wanted to express how much we have all appreciated the outpouring of support from everybody. One thing that has struck me in particular, though, is how the majority of the messages end with some variant of "Let me know if there's anything I can do." I have thought about that at length, and I usually can't think of anything. Time and God will have to heal my emotional wounds; other than that, what can anyone do? But then it occurred to me... there is something each one of you can do. If you have kids, you can give them an extra-tight, extra-long hug. Let them know how much you love them, let them know how proud you are of them, and let them know how many wondrous and amazing things this world has to offer. If you have a spouse, let him/her know how much you appreciate what he/she does for the family and for the marriage. If you and your spouse are arguing over something, ask yourself if the argument is really worth it in the grand scheme of things. If you have friends, let them know how much you value the time you spend together and the things you do together. Let your parents and/or siblings know how much they mean to you. That trip or that activity you have been talking or thinking about doing, but haven't actually done... what's stopping you? If it's not likely to kill you or leave you bankrupt, what are you waiting for? As Wendi told me about a week before she passed away, life is meant to be lived, not wasted.

The old saying is true — every day is a gift from God. I didn't realize how true that was until my wife had no more days left. A simple conversation... how easy is that to take for granted? My wife spent about one-fourth of her time in the hospital unconscious and unable to communicate with anyone. Don't take your life, your health or your relationships for granted, because they are all more fragile than many of us realize. Give thanks to God for what you have, because whether you realize it or not, you have so much more than you know.

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