I have thought of her family many times today and I am grateful to have a disease that is curable. I am grateful to simply have a chance. While I'm wishing I didn't have cancer, Jodi's family is wishing they simply had a chance to save her.
So, yeah, today I am completely clear that I am grateful for the life I have. At one time or another, life has brought each of us painfully difficult circumstances and today I am grateful for the privilege to have circumstances - cancer included - because I am alive.
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Hi, Bert. What a very sad thing for the Peters family, especially for the young children. I can fully appreciate how that tragedy would give your reality just enough of a different perspective to produce gratitude in the midst of it. Someone once said something like, "If you don't think every moment of life is a big deal, try going a day without it." lol. Something like that.
ReplyDeletePrayers and love to all of you,
Beth
Hi Bert,
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad about your friend. Life certainly is percious, I know I don't need to remind you of that! I just want you to know that we think of you often and wonder how things must be on this journey you have taken. Your blog really helps me to get a small idea of whatit must be like. Hard to believe the Roots is next week! The spirt of "Shaggy Doohickey" will rock the scene!
you will be missed!
Wishing you health, love, peace and happiness always, Julie:)
I find myself this morning reflecting on so many things in my life. It’s so strange the emotions you go through. How different things touch your life in different ways. I come to work every morning, change my shirt, read my e-mail, and than read your blog. This morning I came to work walking a little lighter than normal. I found out last night after 12 years that my brother Dirk is finally moving back home. Its not like that hell with it I’m going, it’s the type where his work is relocating him to Owego, got a promotion, gets moving expenses……All the good things. As I’m typing this to you my hair is standing up on the back of my neck…..That’s how excited I am about this. So I sit down and read your blog and read about the Peters family and immediately I put myself in there shoes. Me dieing, Kim (my wife) dieing, Dirk dieing. How devastating that would be. When Dirk called me last night to tell me the great news we made a comment to each other in the effect of “Boy I hope nothing happen to us know that I’m this close to coming home.” We chuckled and through out a couple scenarios and than went about our conversation. When I finished your post I sat back in my chair and returned right back to the phone call with my brother. Thought of all the things we’ve done together and things we will do in a few weeks. How our children will play together, how he will be here for the birth of my second child. I think of all the neat things we’ve said we would do together if he lived here. Motorcycle trips, building go-carts for the kids. 4-wheelers and on and on. Than my mind switches gears to all the things he’s done for me. Must be because I have you and he on my mind the first thing I think of is all the countless trips to Auburn he made. What was I Bert 16…17? I couldn’t have been much older than that. How many people would drive there brother 77 miles to see a girl at that age. On top of the 300+ phone bills, they never said you can’t see her, or it’s not going to work, none of that. So than I switch gears to what if they would have. Would I be different if I never got the opportunity to spend as much time with your family as I did? You know one of the hardest things for me was dinner. Dinner at your house was tuff for I never had sit down meals. I lived with my brothers. We’d grab a bowl of corn flacks and sit on the couch for dinner. Not at your house. It was a very proper thing. I can remember hundreds of eye gestures from your sister helping me get through it in the beginning. Than here was you. It was like you could see I was nervous and would make a comment that would break the ice and make me feel so much better. I remember pulling out of the grocery store parking lot. It was Viv, Chris and I. I had just bought a pack of smokes and I through the wrapper out the window and Chris said from the back seat “Happy Earth Day” I informed his I kept the aluminum foil and through the plastic out. He informed me that plastic never biodegrades. There were endless conversations and lesson learned over your garage, pretty much every one of them you were present for. None of them I’ll repeat here. I remember all the ass whipping Jim gave me in racket ball…….The lesson learned there was “I suck at racket ball”. I remember when your sister was getting ready to go do Denmark, and for two days before she left you ran around the house yelling “Steve”. “Hello Steevvvee”. I still use that to this day when someone is leaving and you know you won’t see them for a long while. Your mother……Possible the greatest women I’ve ever met. There is no doubt in my mind that the influences she had on my life have help make me the person I am today. So in full circle I wonder what I would be like, If I would have the same values in life that I do now if my brothers wouldn’t have driven this little puck kid back and forth to Auburn so many times to see his girlfriend. I don’t think so. Matter a fact I know I would not Even to this day look how you still make me grow. How you open my eyes up to different lessons in life. Lessons I wouldn’t have ever gotten if it wasn’t for the love of my family. What you do now is great. Sharing like you always have. That kindness and love that you and your family have always shown. It makes me stronger and everyone else that you touch strong too. Thanks Steve!
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