Life is Precious

As the school year begins so begins better routines, fall sports, and earlier bedtimes.  My oldest headed off to 8th grade and the baby to kindergarten.  My heart is so full of both joy and sentimental sadness.  I pray for all four of them constantly and for Bret and I that we are doing our best to raise them into decent human beings.

The past several months have brought with it some shocking losses of life and although none were immediate family or friends they were just close enough to feel the pangs of loss at how sudden and sad their untimely deaths were.

A close friend suddenly lost her mother who happens to be my mom's age and who was in much better health than mine to a stroke.  A classmate with an unhealthy lifestyle never recovered from pneumonia and passed away.  Only a few days ago a friend's 15 year old son took his own life the night before school started.  It is shocking, gut-wrenching, and unimaginable the pain that their loved ones are walking through right now.

It is a reminder that life is precious.  We are only on this earth for a limited amount of time and we spend so much of it worrying about inconsequential things and working so hard to achieve such materialistic based goals.  Time is a gift that should not be wasted.  I lost my dad rather suddenly and I didn't realize how precious the time we had was and took for granted that he would not be here for many more years.  I try not to do the same with my mom but it makes me feel more panicked as I am not sure there will ever be enough time with her.  We are so very blessed.  It is my hope that we change our goals from bigger houses, newer cars, and more stuff to making memories and sharing love.

Although I have so much to say about this horrendous epidemic of teenage suicide for today I just want to say that you are all very loved, you are worth it, ask for help, call a friend, fight to stay here.