I know that we are supposed to cherish every moment because life is short and can end in an instant. Even though I know this is what we are supposed to do, I find it challenging.
The past couple of weeks at work have been much busier than normal and filled with numerous challenges. Then, on Thursday, I finally scheduled a root canal that I had literally been putting off for over a year (fear is an amazing procrastinator). I come out of said root canal at 1:30pm and my husband calls me to tell me that his company is closing. He has been there for 17 years. Now mind you, I was still under the influence of a sedative (which wasn't very strong, but did the job well enough), and it still struck me as extremely sad. I had worked there for 14 years myself and it is where my husband and I met. Not to mention all of the close friends that still worked there. It is the end of an institution and is pretty devastating to all who have been a part of that family. (It says ALOT about a company when you have many workers who have been there for 10 - 30 years!).
Friday at work was no different than the past couple of weeks, and on top of the work stress, I had mouth pain from the root canal. Despite all of that, I was still surprised how depressed I felt over the closing of my husband's company (as we had been expecting it for over a year). I think part of the reason for my surprise, was the magnitude of the impact of the closure on me, outside of my immediate household. For example, my brother-in-law may move out of town with his family, as well as many close friends, in order to find jobs. (I never considered this negative aspect, when thinking about the company closing).
Friday evening, I spent time visiting a neighbor who is in the end stages of ALS. It is an absolutely devastating illness, in which there is no cure. It is said to be one of the worst ways to die, due to the fact that you still have your mind through it all, while you lose all of your muscles and can no longer move or talk, until finally you no longer breathe. To make matters worse, this woman has two daughters (one is 11 and the other is 6). I felt blessed that I made her laugh many times throughout the night, despite what she is going through. She is an absolutely inspirational woman, who I learned, would have loved to have been a vacation planner. I enjoyed seeing many pictures, from her family vacations, over the past several years. My heart goes out to her, her husband, her parents, and her children.
I know from reading many books, including Dr. Terry Gordon's, that you are supposed to see tragedies as blessings. I think this is extremely difficult to do, particularly at the time of tragedies. Perhaps when some time passes, it is easier to see the blessings in disguise.
***On a side note, as I was typing this blog, my daughters were watching the animated movie "The Croods". Due to the anxiety and fear I have lived with my entire life, I found the following advice from the dad in the beginning of the movie absolutely hilarious: "Fear keeps us alive; never NOT be afraid!...No one said survival was fun...She lived her life in routine, fear, and darkness, and was happy." Of course, the message in the movie ends up being the exact opposite of these initial statements; do not be afraid and do not spend your life in darkness. (Very cute movie, by the way. I highly recommend it, if you have not seen it.)***
I will end this post with the following quote from Dr. Terry Gordon and wish you all the ability to see blessings in your tragedies:
"What I have embraced is that a life’s experience becomes a tragedy, only if we make the conscious decision to make a calamity out of it. We might just as easily choose to accept encounters such at this as a gift from the Divine, a learning tool that helps propel us on to a higher path."
Dr. Terry Gordon's Link
Trying to Cherish Each Moment,
Me
Motivational Moment:
Today's Moment is to share with you a story about a brave, wonderful girl. I came across her story by pure luck when checking out a friend's blog that contained a YouTube link. The attached two links are the YouTube stories I watched yesterday, about a miraculous little girl named Shiloh Jade Pepin. In her story, you will come to see what absolute beautiful people her parents and doctor are, as well as all the rest of her family, friends, and health care providers. I thank them for sharing her story with the world and I wish them peace and love all throughout their lives.
Shiloh's Story Shiloh's Story 2
