Reality Check

I can hardly believe how fast life goes...

Today while on the phone with my mom; I found out a kid that I went to High School with passed away. This kid was a year younger than me. He was in a lot of my art classes with me and developed photos next to me in the dark room...

He was on a gorge and he fell 100 feet and ultimately ended up passing away... He was just out taking pictures with his friend and a log gave way which ended up launching him past his friend's grasp into the gorge. This is a failure of imagination.

Just a few days ago, I was thinking how each day is a gift. How I used to believe that and really grasp on to each day being a gift. Some how in the midst of things, I lost sight of that. Some how I started feeling as though I was entitled to life... Then my mom called me with this news.

I felt like someone had literally punched me in the gut. I gasped a bit for breath as tears filled my eyes... I just don't get how this happens. Our lives are so incredibly short. When people say: "none of us are promised tomorrow" it's the truth. It's so true that it's almost scary.

This has made me start to wonder... I constantly want to save things and hold on to random things for a "special" occasion... Why not have the special occasion today. I don't know when God will call those closest to me home... But I surely want them to know that they are on my list of special people in my life. I want them to know that they matter to me more than I can express in words.

People are important.

I hope that my friend knew that people cared about him.

Instead of thinking there will be a tomorrow... May we live in today. May we love each person in the moment and may we not take our time for granted... Soon enough life changes, transitions happen, people grow up, move out, pass away...

May I never be too busy to say I love you.

From wheelchair to marathon...

One thing that I was thinking about tonight is how far I have come.

As I have gone quite literally from wheelchair to preparing for marathon training.

As I have been editing my book... One thing it has brought me a realization of is just exactly how far I have come... This was quite literally my life. Days on end in the hospital grasping any hope that we could for the future.

Sometimes I look back to that and I can't even fathom it. I know I have come so far. I am so very blessed! Now as I begin to train for the half marathon first, and marathon before I graduate college... I can't imagine being trapped into a wheelchair. However, I get so mad that I am not better at running or that I didn't run sooner.

In a world that is constantly striving to the be the best, the fastest, the smartest... I have come to realize: it doesn't matter. At least I can run. I forget how far I have come. And that alone shows that my life is full of blessing.

I love my God more today, than yesterday...His covenant to His people is everlasting, and for this: I am so very thankful.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. Deuteronomy 7:9