Monday, February 27, 2012

Life Changing Instances

I have been so focused on business that I have neglected my poor blogging. But this past week I came across many different tragedies that have led me to this blog. If you are a Gleek like I am and watched last week's episode then you know exactly where I am going with this blog.

So many times we are so enthralled in our own personal lives and what is going on that we forget or ignore the reality of what happens around us. In last weeks episode of Glee, they addressed so many different important topics that effect us all. Being a mom of three boys, I have to stop and reflect on all the things that can change our lives and theirs in a split second! From teenage relationships, big decisions, life altering competition, bullying, suicide, texting while driving and the list goes on and on.

But what happens when the "on screen" hits reality and enters your life? How does it effect you? What do you do to change it? My mother got some very tragic news this past weekend, a former colleague and friend committed suicide and no one really knows why. This man was successful, had a wife and children and yet he was so depressed that he felt the need to walk off a ledge and fall to his death! And his family was left with the question, why? They will probably never have the answers they are looking for but after attending the memorial service my mom came back changed. She recanted some of the words shared at this memorial by this man's children and his wife. And as if I knew this man, I was hurt and felt pain. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain his family was feeling, if I who didn't even know them, felt pain. Tears filled my eyes as my mother told of this man's daughter saying how she would make him proud. That she would continue on her journey to succeed because it is what would make him happy. That she was only sad because she would not be here to see her successes when she graduated law school, when she got married and how he would never know his grandchildren when she had them. Those words resonated in my ears. With all that she could have said, her biggest sadness was that he would not be here for those milestones in her life. Not that she was angry with him or that she didn't know how to go on but that he would miss these moments in her life. She left off with saying how she was only happy knowing that he was with her grandfather and not alone. And that what she would miss the most is his interaction with her mother. How she would miss how he looked at her...with love always in his eyes! WORDS from a CHILD! Amazing! Truly moving and inspiring. But I think the most heart wrenching moment spoken at this man's memorial was from his wife. Her words were simply, "I don't know how to go on this life's journey without my Best Friend" When my mom was telling this last statement, I could hear the pain in my moms voice as she then turned and said, "All I could think about is my husband and how I couldn't imagine a day without him". My heart ached for this woman, for my mother, for myself.

So many things can change in an instant! Life's curveballs have a way of knocking us on our behinds! So, take a moment, look at your life, be greatful for the things you do and aspire for the greatness you deserve. Don't let a moment of hurt, keep you from moving forward. Learn from others pains, learn from your own pain. Don't take for granted that everything you have is gifted and unchangeable. Life happens when you are not looking and change can send you in a direction you are not ready to endure. But when it does, accept the pain, but do not forget how you got there. Remember the good times and how many more outweigh those bad ones. Because if you live life dwelling on all the bad that has happened to you, you will miss all the good trying to barrel down your door. With all that society is showing us, we need to open our eyes and take a look around. Remember that we are not just one person effecting one person...we are one person effecting the world!

2 comments:

  1. I can't even let myself think about my husband dying. It just sends me into an emotionally paralyzed place that is awful!! How heartbreaking:( I have a lump in my throat just reading this post. Great post.

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  2. I think the thing to keep in mind is that change in inevitable- so when things are bad, we can take comfort in knowing they won't always be like that.

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