Perspective

It's been so long since I've written on this blog.  My best good friend, Kristen, reminded me I needed to post something new.  And I know I do.  I've thought about posting something multiple times over the last couple years.  But it's like having a conversation with someone you haven't seen in a while.  An awkward conversation.  What do you write about?  Do you address your two year absence?

So much has changed in the last two years.  I've lost my mother in law to cancer.  I've lost my dog, Jack, to old age.  And I've been blessed beyond words with my beautiful daughter, Merritt Elizabeth.  Jason and I have shared many laughs and tears in between, but I'd say those are the highlights over the past two years.

This past week I feel like I'm being reminded about perspective at every turn. 

At Merritt's 9 month check up this past week, the doctor noticed the creases in her legs weren't lining up they way they're supposed to.  She thought everything was fine, but to be sure, she wanted us to get an x-ray of Merritt's hips to confirm the femur and hip socket were coming together correctly.  As we sat in the waiting room for our turn, Jason struck up a conversation with a lone gentleman sitting nearby.  It turns out, his daughter had already been taken back for an MRI.  She was diagnosed at the age of 3 with a brain tumor.  She is now 12 1/2 and had started having seizures again.  The MRI was to see if the cancer was back.  During their conversation, Jason relayed our friend, Keith, is in the Marine Corp.  When our name got called to go back to the x-ray room, the gentleman told Jason to tell Keith thank you from him for his service to our country.  He also let us know we would be in his prayers for everything to turn out fine with Merritt's hips.  I was blown away.  Someone who was dealing with such a nerve wrecking situation - his daughter and the unknowns of her health - only seemed to think about others.  My heart went out to him and I immediately said a pray for his family.

This past week I also found out a couple I went to high school had delivered a baby girl last week.  What is something that is such a joyous occasion turned sad when I heard the baby girl was born with a lethal genetic condition and doctor's didn't expect her to live long.  Thankfully, the mother and father were able to bring their little girl home for a few days before she took a turn for the worse and they were back in the hospital.  My dad ran into the baby's grandma in the store and again, I was blown away by what I heard.  Instead of proclaiming how unfair it was for her first grandchild to be leaving them so soon, the grandma expressed thanks to God for allowing the baby to at least spend a few days at home.  She gave thanks for the baby being born.  I heard through Facebook the little girl moved on to heaven a couple days ago.  My heart breaks for her parents and I pray they find peace and comfort in the Lord. 

And again, it puts my life in perspective.  I hug my little girl a little bit tighter every night.  I give thanks a little bit more every morning.  I'm so thankful for the health of my baby girl and our family.  When she wakes me up in the middle of the night, I'm not cranky or irritated (although I am sleepy).  I just give thanks as I rock her warm little body back to sleep that I have this perfect baby girl in my arms.