perspective
I got some news recently that made all of my bad luck seem little. It made me remember to appreciate what we have, because everything changes.
I have a cousin whom I haven't seen in a while. I've heard about his life through my parents, and I've understood from reading between the lines that things haven't been easy. About five years ago he got a girl pregnant and married her. I'm under the impression that neither set of parents approved. The disapproval caused some amount of consternation between him and his adoptive father (which caused them not to speak for quite some time). Her parents were still over bearing and hard to deal with. They had a second little girl two years ago, and despite some problems loved each other very much. His adoptive father decided to be a part of his sons, and his grandchildren's lives. I don't know if I have all the facts just right because its down the family line of communication, but that's the just of it. Anyway on Christmas his wife collapsed. He gave her CPR and she was rushed to the hospital. They kept telling the family that she would be okay, but she wasn't. She had had a heart attack at 26 and she is lying brain dead in the hospital. I never met her, and now I never will. Her children will only remember a glimpse of their mother, and my cousin who has been through so much just to have her in his life is now a single father. She was not over weight, or on any medications. She had an infection around her heart that went untreated because she didn't notice. If she had been in shape or took the time for herself she might have, but even that is not a guarantee. I feel a tremendous amount of sympathy and grief for my cousin and his family, but more than anything I feel a deep appreciation for the people in my life everyday. I remember today to love those around me, deeply flawed as we all are. The time we have left is fleeting and my only comfort in remembering those I have lost is knowing without a doubt that no smile was wasted on them.
I have a cousin whom I haven't seen in a while. I've heard about his life through my parents, and I've understood from reading between the lines that things haven't been easy. About five years ago he got a girl pregnant and married her. I'm under the impression that neither set of parents approved. The disapproval caused some amount of consternation between him and his adoptive father (which caused them not to speak for quite some time). Her parents were still over bearing and hard to deal with. They had a second little girl two years ago, and despite some problems loved each other very much. His adoptive father decided to be a part of his sons, and his grandchildren's lives. I don't know if I have all the facts just right because its down the family line of communication, but that's the just of it. Anyway on Christmas his wife collapsed. He gave her CPR and she was rushed to the hospital. They kept telling the family that she would be okay, but she wasn't. She had had a heart attack at 26 and she is lying brain dead in the hospital. I never met her, and now I never will. Her children will only remember a glimpse of their mother, and my cousin who has been through so much just to have her in his life is now a single father. She was not over weight, or on any medications. She had an infection around her heart that went untreated because she didn't notice. If she had been in shape or took the time for herself she might have, but even that is not a guarantee. I feel a tremendous amount of sympathy and grief for my cousin and his family, but more than anything I feel a deep appreciation for the people in my life everyday. I remember today to love those around me, deeply flawed as we all are. The time we have left is fleeting and my only comfort in remembering those I have lost is knowing without a doubt that no smile was wasted on them.