Are We Really Appreciating Our Blessings?

I sat down at my laptop with a cup of coffee for a little facebook scroll through posts from friends and acquaintances. At this moment life is peaceful, happy, relaxed. Scott and I have been getting ready for tomorrow's Super Bowl party where 30 of the people our lives are blessed with will come hang out for the game. About 30 seconds into my scroll I came across a post/picture from a friend asking for prayers for her friend's young son who's at Texas Children's Hospital. This beautiful child is dying, and the note with the picture, written by his mother, basically says just that... time has run out.

What I thought was going to be mindless reading/viewing, with likely giggles between sips of coffee (as is often the case with me and facebook), has turned into me questioning my appreciation of how blessed my life is. I am healthy, happy, employed. Scott and I have a good relationship, wonderful friends and family, amazing kids, a nice home. Our children are healthy, happy, and safe (my prayer to God every night).

And down the road at TCH, there is a family sitting around a hospital bed where a sweet boy, the same age as my younger daughter Laureli, has little time left. It makes you ask "Why?" And it makes you wonder why your life is spared such heartache. I often think that it's not that some are spared, but rather that it's not your heartache time of life right now. Some years later, who knows, you could be going through something terribly painful, and maybe when that's going on, this family will be experiencing great joy in their lives. I don't know if I'm right but since most people don't have 80 years of pure happiness and zero heartache, I think my theory is probably pretty close.

So as I finish my cup of coffee, and the deep thoughts I hadn't planned on thinking, I say to you... if your life is peaceful, happy, relaxed; stop what you're doing for 30 seconds and thank God. And if you know somebody who's hurting, say a prayer for them as well.

The picture below is Laureli and me last Christmas morning. The box is a gift from her to me ... it had a bunch of fuzzy socks in it. She knows how much I love fuzzy socks. :) This is one of my favorite pictures of us -- I just love how she's hugging me. Laureli is the BEST hugger I have ever known in my entire 43 years on this Earth. She hugs whole-heartedly, snuggles into the hug when she's giving you one, and says "I love you" freely and often. She is my sweet, precious gift from God and I will be grateful for her every day of my life.

Count your blessings. Love your loved ones. Be grateful for all you have.
Jen