And so, I take a look at my life. . .
. . .and I have to thank God I still have it. And, I have to be thankful that I'm not a survivor mourning the loss of one of the 80,000 souls swept away in the tsunami last Thursday.
I have to be thankful that I'm not among the contingent sorting through the mindbending number of bodies that have been found so far, knowing only that more will keep coming.
I have to be thankful I'm not one of the troops who have been so horribly wounded while serving our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the mother or father of one of the fallen. And, I have to be thankful I'm not the one who has to deliver that news.
And I have to be grateful that I'm not among the thousands of families who had to spend another Christmas without the family member, or members, lost on September 11, 2001. And that I'm not a cop or a firefighter who lost a brother saving the ones who escaped. . .or one who survived, and worked to unearth the ones who didn't.
And, I have to be thankful that I'm not going through what my dear friend is going through right now, having found her husband dead on Christmas morning, when she went to wake him up so that they could watch their two year old son open his presents. The same friend who, on her way to work, was run off the road by her boyfriend and shot in the head when she was 19.
And I have to be grateful that I'm not one of Bobbie Jo Stinnett's loved ones, who were looking forward to sharing in the birth of her baby daughter with such anticipation and joy.
And I have to be thankful that I'm still of reasonably sound mind and body, and that I'm not the suffering family member of someone who isn't.
And, as bad as things may seem right now, I have to be glad that I'm not the father of Christina Tedder, who vanished on Christmas Eve.
Some people say the news is depressing. Well, it's not. I've been there before. And having come back, I can take a look at the news and find a reason to be thankful. It's a matter of perspective. Because, no matter how bad things may seem in your life at any time, they can always be worse.
Much worse.
I have to be thankful that I'm not among the contingent sorting through the mindbending number of bodies that have been found so far, knowing only that more will keep coming.
I have to be thankful I'm not one of the troops who have been so horribly wounded while serving our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the mother or father of one of the fallen. And, I have to be thankful I'm not the one who has to deliver that news.
And I have to be grateful that I'm not among the thousands of families who had to spend another Christmas without the family member, or members, lost on September 11, 2001. And that I'm not a cop or a firefighter who lost a brother saving the ones who escaped. . .or one who survived, and worked to unearth the ones who didn't.
And, I have to be thankful that I'm not going through what my dear friend is going through right now, having found her husband dead on Christmas morning, when she went to wake him up so that they could watch their two year old son open his presents. The same friend who, on her way to work, was run off the road by her boyfriend and shot in the head when she was 19.
And I have to be grateful that I'm not one of Bobbie Jo Stinnett's loved ones, who were looking forward to sharing in the birth of her baby daughter with such anticipation and joy.
And I have to be thankful that I'm still of reasonably sound mind and body, and that I'm not the suffering family member of someone who isn't.
And, as bad as things may seem right now, I have to be glad that I'm not the father of Christina Tedder, who vanished on Christmas Eve.
Some people say the news is depressing. Well, it's not. I've been there before. And having come back, I can take a look at the news and find a reason to be thankful. It's a matter of perspective. Because, no matter how bad things may seem in your life at any time, they can always be worse.
Much worse.
posted by MsFalconersCabanaBoy @ 11:02 PM
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