Life Is Precious….Handle It With Care

There are few things that make one realize just how precious life is, until they happen. And they don’t have to be catastrophic in nature to make you realize that.  This spring and summer have make me realize just how fragile life can be, in more than one way.  From having something happen to a parent, to watching life begin, one cannot help but realize how very true this is.

Back earlier in the spring, my father in law had a bout of fainting.  It has happened before, but this time, they couldnt get him to come to for a while.  After being hospitalized for afew days, and having every kind of test imaginable run, it has been decided that he has a condition that makes his brain shut down when pain reaches a certain level.  The fact that he was in the garden, trying to lift a tiller a short time after having hernia surgery not withstanding, it is kind of scary.

About the middle of June, our cat had kittens.  This is a second litter, as when she first found us, she was starving, and we fed her, having no idea she was pregnant.  The first litter fought, and so did she, but, she was so malnourished that they didn’t have a chance.  I cried as each one gave up.  This time, they are all healthy, as is the mother, and are doing very well.  We are in the process of finding homes for them, so that when they are weaned, they will have good places to live. But soon after shehad them, she got a milk gland infection, and we nearly lost her.  So, while she was healing, we had to bottlefeed the babies.  It was very hard to do, but we did it, and they made it.  They are  eating milk suppliment now, and softened kittten food.  And Ellie, their mother, is doing well.

A few weeks ago, my brother in law, who is one of the healthiest people I know, had a bout with kidney stones.  While doing an ultrasound to find them, the doctors discovered a spot on his liver that has turned out to be cancer.  After poking and prodding him all over, and not finding it anywhere else, he will be having a very serious surgery next week to remove it.  That is a scary thing, especially to me, as I lost both of my parents to that horrible disease.  At this point, we are thanking God for answered prayer in that it has been found early, and are praying that it is, indeed, confined to the one spot.  Anyway, next week, the surgery will be done, and after ample time for recovery, he  should be fine.  This is what we are praying for.

All these things happen to people every day, but, what I have just told you about happened to our family, so that makes it more personal.  (Yes, I consider the cat and her kittens to be a part of the family…the dogs, too)  It is the little things that make you realize sometimes just how precoius and fragile life really is.  Kittens are born every day, and someone loses a battle with cancer every day.  Yet we seem to go through life with  blinders on, not seeing nor taking advantage of the blessings we have.

Through the episode with my father in law, and brother in law,  I have learned that it is more important to me to tell then that I love them, and show them that I do, than to assume that they should know that.  I know my husband loves me, but I still like to hear him say the words.  Same with my daughters.  They know that we love them, but I tell them that each time I talk to them.  Because you ever know when you may not get that opportunity again.

A friend of mine once told me that the most important things in life are not having a lot of money, or power, or fame.  The important things  are measured by how we treat each other, and help one another, and love each other.  While having money would be nice, I think, no one is going to remember that I gave this amount or that amount to charity.  What they will remember is how  much time I invested in living life, and the manner in which I invested it.

I have learned that life is indeed, precious..  and we need to treat it that way.  Like a newborn baby, each day is brand new, and it is up to us to decide how we use it.  Use them wisely, because only God knows how many of them you have.  Make them count.  And handle each day as if it were your last. 

Life IS precious…..handle it with care (and a lot of prayer).

Happy Birthday, America!

Here it is, another July 4th. America is having another birthday.  And she is still the greatest country on this earth.  She has her problems…what country doesn’t?   But I can’t think of any other place on earth that I would rather live than here.

This country is great for many reasons.  Most, I don’t even have to list here.  But, I will mention a few.  She is great because of her diversity, and because she was founded on Christian principles.  The Pledge of Allegience call her one nation, UNDER GOD, indivisible.  That, along with the very wording of our Constitution, and Declaration of Independence, tells us that God figured very much inthe founding and birth of this nation.  That we seem to choose to forget that troubles me, a lot.

America is great because she is known for reaching out and helping people.  Not only those here in our own country, but, throughout the world.  We send aid to people and countries all over the world, and endeavor to help them in many different ways.  We receive many immigrants here every day.  Many of them coming here with great hope, and a prayer for a better life.

America is a great nation because of her determination.  From the start, our forefathers were determined that this nation should be a free nation, and that all men should have the opportunity to pursue life, and have a happy, fulfilling life.  She stands determined to defend herself against those who would try to do her harm.  We saw that determination come into play when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and on September 11th.

Unfortunately ,our memory seems to be shorter now, and we find ourselves bickering over political correctness, and how to “Not offend” someone else.  But, in the end, we are strong and will work out these issues.  Because we ARE a great nation.

There are things we take for granted every day that arepart of what makes us great.  All over this nation, there are volunteers, who are willing to put their lives on the line, and help out their neighbors.  the first thing that comes to mind whan I say this is the score of volunteer firefighters who make up more than 50% of the nations fire protection force.  Many of your neighbors are probably members of one of these departments.  We never think about them, until we need them.  But they are out there, and stand ready to respond when needed, whether it be a car accident, a house fire, or whatever.  And they do it without pay, because they love their communities, and their country.  Our paid firefighters do the same. But they are paid.  This is not said to take anything away from the marvelous job that they do.

We have a volunteer military.  No draft.  NO mandate to young men and women that they have to serve.  And yet, we have the greatest military in the WORLD.  Why?  Because these brave young men and women care about their country.  They are a part of what maeks us great.

We have freedoms here that  other countries in the world would dare give their citizens.  We can freely disagree with our government, and vote to make changes in it.  We have the right to question decisions made by the government, without fear of being thrown in jail, or executed because of it.

I could go on, but, I think you get the idea.  America is a great nation because we, the people have shaped her that way.  She  may stumble a bit, but, retains her footing and continues on.  Because she is strong and proud.

So on this July 4th, pause a moment and reflect on what we have, and then say a prayer of thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and a prayer for those who even on this day are on guard around the world, and in our hometowns, to keep us that way.  The land of the free, and the home of the brave!

Happy Birthday, America!  Long may your flag wave!