Perception

Isn't it amazing how one little piece of news can change your perceptions. I have had a long week--Shon was home sick all week and the 4 kids were basically mine to deal with (he doesn't do sickness well:-) I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and was short with the kids, wondering when I was going to finally have a break and some time to myself (short of locking myself in the bathroom, which doesn't work because they still come in/knock on the door). Then on Saturday I found out one of my best friends from middle school on has a 4 year old little boy who was diagnosed with leukemia on Friday. Today they are in St. Jude's in Memphis waiting for chemotherapy to start, central lines to be put in, and bone marrow to be tested to find out what kind of fight they are up against. It really put my petty complaints into perspective. So what if my house isn't cleaned up and my kids still step over their toys rather than pick them up and take them upstairs? They are all healthy and happy for the most part--and I need to remember to be more thankful. Same goes for my husband--yes he tends to be more crabby and helpless when sick, but he is a wonderful provider and helper when he feels well and I should try to have more sympathy when he is ill:-)

I pray that I will remember to let the little things go, as the time the kids are little is so fleeting. I pray I will try to laugh more and make things fun instead of always telling them something they need to be doing to clean up or help out with their younger sibling, etc. I want them to look back on their childhood and remember it fondly. I also pray that my friend Mandi's little boy Eli will be miraculously healed of his cancer and this will be just a bump in the road of his very long life. More later....