Feet Hit the Floor

In the Tree House: Feet hit the Floor

Do you ever get out of bed in the morning and think…aahhh what a beautiful, perfect day this is going to be, or, grrrrr this is going to be one lousy day. Not hardly. When we sit up in bed in the morning, we never know what the future holds for us that day.

In fact the other morning, I got up, refreshed (well as refreshed as a mom of an eight month old can be), got breakfast ready for everyone, we were all in a great mood, and out the door we went. But as the day unfolded, one thing after another started to happen…that was bad! I can’t even remember what  the events were, but it just snowballed into a horrible day. But that is how insignificant the “bad” events were, I can’t even remember a week later.

But really, what is a horrible day? Is it running out of gas? Is it not getting to exercise that day? Is it not getting the type of coffee you want at the office? No!

A horrible day is waking up, sending your kids off to school, and your husband off to his job knowing it is going to be another productive day, maybe a little hum drum, but productive nonetheless. Then getting a phone call from the authorities, letting you know that your husband’s plane has gone down; and in an instant your life has changed. You are a widow, your children will not have their father there to rear them and teach them right from wrong; you are now in charge of and in control of every single aspect of your life, your household, and your children.

Now that is a horrible day! A colleague of mine experienced this about two years ago. But each day she manages to make her bright morning stay bright all day long. She sends out positive messages, motivational Face Book posts, and talks about her husband as if he were still with them. In fact she mentioned just the other day how her daughter wanted to make his favorite cake for his birthday (which is coming up in a few weeks); and with a smile and a wink of encouragement they did just that. Their Daddy and husband is still very much a part of their lives.

Even though my colleague has managed to pull herself up by her boot straps and move on and find love again. She still includes her late husband in every aspect of their daily lives, so he is not forgotten by his children.

Now that to me is a reason to get out of bed every morning, to share the memory of the one you lost. So when you feel your day spiraling out of control, and you can see it is going to end up in the dumps, because you got a flat tire, or you had to wait an extra minute in line at the post office, or even an extreme measure, your car got dinged at the grocery store…just remember, things could be so much worse. Your life could be changed in an instant forever.

And as we roll out of bed every morning, we don’t know…nor will we know how that day will turn out, until it’s over. But you have to remember, to make the most out of every moment you have. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

So you got up and there are still dishes in the sink, you still have your loved ones to cook for to create the dirty dishes; so you got up and the kids left their shoes all over the house, your kids are still around to make a mess of your house; so your husband left his baseball cap, keys, and change on the kitchen counter, at least he is still there to leave his stuff around that drives you crazy.

Never take a moment for granted. Life changes in the blink of an eye. Cherish every moment.