Don't let all the craziness of making life happen keep you from truly living!

I have been absent from blogging (of course, no one has noticed because no one even knows of this blog...YET). However, I have NOT been absent from life! And that is what is most important. I have good days & bad days, but the good days DEFINITELY outweigh the bad ones now. For this, I am truly thankful!!

I want to share something & I'm thinking that this is the best forum in which to do this. Of course, this also means that I'll be telling people about the existence of this blog & my "secret" will be out of the bag, but that's okay. I'm okay with that now.

Last week I was reading a post on an online forum to which I belong. We are a group of Mommas who had babies in October of last year. We've been a group since before our babies were born & we've been following each other through the last year, since the bebes were born. The post I read has changed my perspective on everything. Life is just too short to worry about petty stuff.

On October 6th last year, a Momma gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy! Over the last year, he has grown & developed into a beautiful little boy. He just started walking not too long ago. On October 6th of this year, his family was SO excited to celebrate this little guys 1st birthday. A few days later, they had a big bash to celebrate with family & friends. They had so much fun at his John Deere party. A few short hours after the party, their lovely little boy began forcefully vomiting & had spiked a fever of over 104. They rushed him to the ER & he was life-flighted to the closest children's hospital, with a suspected diagnosis of meningitis. Once at the children's hospital, they confirmed the diagnosis. He was in a coma & then suffered a massive seizure, from which he never recovered. On October 12th he moved to Heaven to be with Jesus.

Even typing this right now is bringing tears to my eyes! I cannot even imagine the grief that this mother, as well as the rest of the family, must be feeling right now. Since hearing the story of this family, I have resolved to cherish every moment I have with my family. I hug them a little tighter. I kiss them a few more times. Tell them, " I Love You" just one more time. I cannot deal with pettiness anymore. If you're stuck on nit-picking little things, I really don't have the time to deal with it, because this may be the last moment I have & I need to make it count.

As we prepared to celebrate Ethan's 1st birthday, I was determined to enjoy his day to the fullest! In the back of my mind, I thought about the Momma of the sweet Baby Angel Boy & how she went through her day on the day of his 1st birthday party. I wondered if she would have done anything differently, had she known that it was going to be the last that she'd get to celebrate with him. I tried to focus on making memories for Ethan, myself & our family.

The thing that keeps screaming in my spirit right now is this message:
Please, don't let another day go by while you allow petty foolishness to come between you & your loved ones! If you're bickering & back-biting each other, just STOP IT! You're family!!!! God has given you your family members for a reason & a purpose. Who cares who's right or wrong! Be humble enough to apologize for your part in the situation & do whatever you can to make it right.

If you find yourself so tied up in trying to make life happen, just stop! It's time to start living!! Any moment can become a memory. Any event can become a celebration. Celebrate everything! We have been given the gift of life! Don't let all the craziness of making life happen keep you from truly living! LIVE YOUR LIFE, don't just try to survive it!