Perspective

Some of you have noticed that my blog has been empty and my social media quiet for the past week.  Some of you know the reason.  For those who don't, I can't divulge exactly what is going on but it's been one of the hardest weeks of my life. I've seen things I never want to see again.  I've heard things I never want to hear again.  And I had to make an extremely hard decision and even though it was the right one, it's still painful.  I'm not trying to make the situation about me because in the end, it's not.  I just wanted to let you know why I've been quiet.

The past couple of weeks has also brought about the deaths of two young women who died even as they were fighting to their last breath:  Brittany Maynard and Diem Brown.  Obviously I've never met these two extraordinary women, having only read about them and their courageous battles.  I'm not going to touch upon the political issues surrounding Brittany Maynard's death.  She made a choice and since none of us are in that position to make that choice, it's not for us to judge.  

I usually don't get that rattled by celebrity deaths, however, Diem Brown's death was shocking for me to read.  She was a warrior, a fighter, and a dreamer.  She wanted the same thing out of life that everyone else wants - the chance to live.  Unfortunately, her body had been ravaged by cancer too many times.  I hope she died knowing that she didn't give up her fight to live, instead she left behind a legacy:  fight every minute of every day to live and enjoy the life you have.

I've learned a lot in the past two weeks:

Be thankful to be aliveSometimes decisions in life are hard but the hard ones are usually the right onesThe past is the past and if you spend time regretting the past, you are not living in the presentSometimes it's okay to break the rules and let your child sleep in bed with you You can only do so much in certain situations and if you've done your best, then you've done enoughIt's okay to take a 3-hour nap on a Sunday afternoonIt's amazing what a strong group of determined women can do togetherListen to your first instinct - it's right almost 99% of the timeIt's okay not to be the same size you were 10 years ago, 5 years ago or even 6 months ago because your family, friends and children love you regardlessLife is more important than vanity and if you feel beautiful, then you are beautifulWalking away is not the same as quittingA mistake is not a failure as long as you learn something from itAnd last but not least, if you have to drive to 4 different stores to find "Frozen" snow boots in your child's size, the second you see her smile when she puts them on erases everything else

Live your life.  Love your life.  Be thankful for life.