Sometimes Deep . . . Often Random Thoughts

Two friends of mine are going through a horrific loss in their family, and it sparked in me something that I think about every day.  I won’t go into the details of what happened, but a family member of theirs was lost in a car accident last week, which was surrounded by a lot of additional hardship.  When my sister and I were talking about this situation, she said, I was watching something similar to this situation on TV not too long ago…”It’s something you think could never happen to someone you know.”

This is something that is very important to me, since my mother was killed in a car accident 5 years ago.  I actually found it surprising that she said she thought it couldn’t happen, especially after the loss that we endured.  Now, this current situation is slightly different, because of some special circumstances surrounding the event, which is what she was actually referring to.  But how often do we walk through life, hearing about tragedies, and thinking they could never happen to us?

I’m sure before the loss of my Mother, I may have thought that too.  But that day, in the hospital, living through something that I had only seen on stupid tv hospital dramas I realized, it happened to me, to us.  I have always been very sensitive to tragedies affecting other people, personal tragedies and natural disasters, those types of things have always had a VERY strong affect on me, of course, that has only gotten stronger since I went through the experience myself.

I’m getting all scattered. . . really, the point of this post is to remind everyone that we are not invincible, not one of us.  There are so many horrendous things that occur in this world EVERY DAY, and I would say that the majority of the time we hear about it, we think it could never happen to us.  I would also venture to say that considering the number of these events, and the number of people in this world that the odds of something happening to you or someone you know at some point is very likely.  I know that may sound harsh, but as your driving home, and you are pissed off because traffic is backed up due to an accident a few feet ahead, are you thanking God, or the Universe or whatever/whoever you believe in that it wasn’t you? Or more likely are you bitching that you’re going to be late for dinner?  Never once thinking that at least one of the people in that accident, will never make it home for dinner again.

Now obviously, I have a very personal attachment to auto accidents, and nothing really makes me angrier than seeing peoples’ attitudes while they’re stopped in traffic, never once thinking about the people involved.  But I’m not just talking about accidents.  What about Cancer, about a heart attack or stroke, a plane crash, deadly hurricane or earthquake, a drowning?

Not only do we as a people tend to take for granted the friends and family in our lives, but we tend to take life for granted.  We don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, or even in a few hours and yet most of us have this odd thought that we are going to live forever, or that “it could never happen to us.”

So this is what  I ask of you.  Cherish the time you have with your loved ones.  Tell them you love them EVERY DAY because honestly, you never know when it’s going to be your last opportunity.  I ask that the next time you hear of someone getting some sort of Cancer or dying unexpectedly of a heart attack, remember, don’t take for granted that it actually could be someone you know.  And I beg. . . the next time you are stuck in traffic, remember that you WILL make it home to your family for dinner, someone else may not.

My mother used to thank God before she got out of bed every day, and every night before she closed her eyes to go to sleep.  She knew that tomorrow wasn’t promised, and not only was she grateful for the time she had, I can guarantee you she never got off the phone with her family or friends without saying “I love you.”  It really  is about gratitude isn’t it?  Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us, and what utter vanity to believe that it is.

If you do nothing else after you read this blog, I ask only that you say “Thank You” and “I love You”….I think you’ll know who you need to be saying both of those things to.

**Author’s note…… I’m still kind of sick, and obviously I have a lot of emotion around this topic.  Sorry for being so scattered…