Things that matter, things that don't.

The past few weeks, my parents have been out of town. This means that me and the dog have been hanging out every day after work and that I've had a lot of time for introspection. I came to realize a few things about who I've become in the 22 years I've been here. While I'm amazed at how much I've changed in the past two years, I look and see just how much room I still have to grow.

A friend of mine posted this blog today and I read all the recent posts while sitting in the doctor's office. I do not have children, nor am I anywhere near a place in my life to have any. That fact in no way diminishes the way that I felt reading Ruby's story. Here are some thoughts that came to me...

1. It doesn't matter whether or not I have the latest shoes or handbags. It matters that I'm close enough to my family to know the latest news in their lives.

2. It doesn't matter that I sometimes get out of breath when I'm out running. It matters that I have the choice to go out on that run.

3. It doesn't matter that I don't have a boyfriend in my life to love me, it matters that all the love I need is shown to me every day in the miraculous world that was created for me.

4. It doesn't matter that my family is not perfect, or even that we sometimes fight, yell and say hurtful things. It only matters that deep down, we love each other, and we're sealed together for eternity.

I don't know why that story had such a strong impact on me today. One could say that I've been a bit...hard-hearted lately. I feel like I've taken all the heartache, pain and anguish of the past 2 years and used it as an excuse to barricade myself from everyone around me. But somehow, Ruby Jane's story reminded me that sometimes, the moments that we get with the ones we love are fleeting. So it's time to take advantage of the time that I have now, stop worrying about myself and start looking around to see where I'm needed.

No comments: