On February 19, 2009 a friend of mine lost her husband. He didn't wake up one morning and she was left, a grieving widow, with an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. It made quite an impression on me. I began to ponder my relationship with my little family and the gratitude I feel in having them in my life each day. I realized that while I know we can be together as a family I would be a fool to take that for granted and to not enjoy each minute I get with the people I care about most. I began to understand that while we can be together forever we need to build the relationships that will make us want to be together forever while we're here in mortality. I started thinking in terms of how I could build my relationship with my husband and each child; I started watching how other wives and mothers built their relationships so I could learn.
My friend's heartache prompted real personal growth for me.
I love these stanzas from this poem:
If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep
I would tuck you in more tightly, and pray the Lord your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
That I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time
I could spare an extra minute,
to stop and say, "I LOVE YOU", Instead of assuming you would know I do.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day.
So hold your loved ones close today
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them, and that you'll always hold them dear.
I don't know the author's name and this is just part of the poem.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Famous Last Words
Has anyone else ever noticed themselves deciding for sure how something was going to be and then learning it wasn't meant to be that way? And I swear sometimes the universe has a real sense of humor.
1. "I'm going on a mission--before I get married."
I can't count how many times I said this because I was so certain that's how it would be.
2. "I'll never have hairy legs."
Yeah--I remember thinking this to myself as a teenager. I think of it now because I swear my teenage daughter has thoughts along these lines at time.....when she sees my hairy legs. I remember when things like shaving legs seemed soooo important and now I look down after 5 days and think "how did THAT happen?"
3. "My kids will never act like that in public."
Ha ha--very funny. The fact I used to think this proves I deserve my too smart for their own good kids. If you need a refresher on how this turned out look at Sunday Shenanigans.
4. "If my kids did act like that in public I would..."
You probably want to know what I thought I would do--so do I. I probably never thought that through due to #3.
5. "I'll never like chick flicks."
I don't know what happened to me but in the last year I've discovered I like romance stuff. I know. Weird.
6. "I'm going to post pictures on my blog this year."
See? Now you don't have to wonder what happened. I declared I would and so I haven't. This is why my New Year's Resolution is to make no New Year's Resolutions. I'm just going to make a goal each morning.
7. "I'm going to run today!"
My goal for this morning! I've been looking forward to it since Saturday when I promised myself I would run on Monday. Only I should have looked at my calendar because I wasn't thinking. In addition to the 4.5-5 hours of piano teaching today (at three different times of the day) I'm also helping with Eva's orchestra at school and have to plan my FHE lesson. Which is, of course, why I'm spending all this time blogging. It makes no sense to me either so I guess I'd better wrap it up.
8. "We're done having babies."
--------See? I have a sense of humor too--take that universe!!
Just to clarify--I'm not pregnant......
1. "I'm going on a mission--before I get married."
I can't count how many times I said this because I was so certain that's how it would be.
2. "I'll never have hairy legs."
Yeah--I remember thinking this to myself as a teenager. I think of it now because I swear my teenage daughter has thoughts along these lines at time.....when she sees my hairy legs. I remember when things like shaving legs seemed soooo important and now I look down after 5 days and think "how did THAT happen?"
3. "My kids will never act like that in public."
Ha ha--very funny. The fact I used to think this proves I deserve my too smart for their own good kids. If you need a refresher on how this turned out look at Sunday Shenanigans.
4. "If my kids did act like that in public I would..."
You probably want to know what I thought I would do--so do I. I probably never thought that through due to #3.
5. "I'll never like chick flicks."
I don't know what happened to me but in the last year I've discovered I like romance stuff. I know. Weird.
6. "I'm going to post pictures on my blog this year."
See? Now you don't have to wonder what happened. I declared I would and so I haven't. This is why my New Year's Resolution is to make no New Year's Resolutions. I'm just going to make a goal each morning.
7. "I'm going to run today!"
My goal for this morning! I've been looking forward to it since Saturday when I promised myself I would run on Monday. Only I should have looked at my calendar because I wasn't thinking. In addition to the 4.5-5 hours of piano teaching today (at three different times of the day) I'm also helping with Eva's orchestra at school and have to plan my FHE lesson. Which is, of course, why I'm spending all this time blogging. It makes no sense to me either so I guess I'd better wrap it up.
8. "We're done having babies."
--------See? I have a sense of humor too--take that universe!!
Just to clarify--I'm not pregnant......
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