...making a difference...

I have been touched by so many people and I wanted to post how appreciative I am that so many have reached out to me via emails... shared their personal stories from triumphs to heartaches with me and told me how much this blogg has changed their lives. Some simply come here and realize what they have and wonder how they can make their life a little better … and some question what they don’t have and wonder what they can do to have a little bit more...I im so thankful to all of you that have helped me in many different ways whether it was your ear I borrowed....a good joke that made me laugh.. a shoulder to cry on… and so on. More often then not… life in general is taken for granted… we sometimes just live each day.. and sometimes we put things off til tomorrow. ..then tomorrow “may or may not”come and if it does...it may not be all what you thought it would be…….we always seem to want what we don’t have… and then sometimes what you want, is really what you do have… and you just don’t see it..…then in an instant, what you do have, can be ripped away from you with out warning ….and that will change your life forever!… What if that happens?… take a deep breath and push forward… but if you can leave an impression in someone else’s life while doing so… (even when you don’t think you are doing anything at all) if only for a minute… you share a smile.. a laugh.. a hug... telling someone you love them … that is still a minute that you have made a difference.. Im am sharing with you an email I got from a mom who lost her husband recently and came across my blogg…when you don’t even realize it… you can be making a difference in someone else’s life…. a small ounce of hope …a little inspiration that life can still be worth living, even in the darkest days… some strength to make it though the next seconds…minutes or hours of the day….. As I read her email.. I could not help but cry some tears for her and her family.. I put aside my pain and thought about her and the great loss she was experiencing….. I wish I could make it all better for her too.. ..Just like all of you who wish my pain to go away.. … So thank you all who keep reading my blogg and emailing me with stories and notes and thinking about me and my family.. I am very blessed to have been able to touch your life just as much as you all have touched mine.. And I thank you for being part of my healing process ..its a long road ahead but I can finally see some light and know that Dave has had a helping hand in this journey…. allowing me to be able to express my thoughts and feelings through pictures and words... THANK YOU!…….xoxoxo

(and thank you anonymous for letting me post your story...god bless you and sending you a hug...)

~*~

Hi Michelle,

I just came across one of your posts and I read your blog about your husband Dave and i just wanted to say that I found it inspiring. My husband died suddenly in a car accident 2 months ago and left me and our 2 small children alone. (I am also pregnant). Not easy. Anyways, I have really struggled with facing this and even finding time to face it with my kids needing mom for just day to day things. He was heavily involved in the community as well as so I just feel like I have so much to grieve. I really liked reading your blog because I haven't done much to celebrate my husband's life. I really struggle with what I have lost and how much is gone (my partner, my kids dad, his work involved alot of people over) but reading your blog has encouraged me that it is also okay to really enjoy who he was. I find that painful but your family looked so joyful as you ran your race or let go of your balloons. Not to say your heart doesn't break everyday, but I also think you are facing your darkness really well. I read a great book called A Grace Disguised about a man who lost his daughter, wife and mother all in the same accident. He had a dream about chasing the sun because the darkness was closing in on him and he couldn't catch the light. He finally collapsed and let the darkness overwhelm him. He told his sister about it and she said that in order to catch the sun, you actually have to turn into the darkness and go towards the sunrise. You have to face the dark in order to get to the light. Anyways, I would highly recommend the book but that is not my point in writing. I just wanted to say that I feel inspired by your facing your darkness by going to as many kids things as you could get to, by organizing a race, by making a tshirt for your son to honor his dad. You could just stay in bed if you wanted to but instead you are embracing your life. I feel like I want to start going through my husbands stuff and start putting together stuff for my kids to remember him by. Also, side note, I too feel like I can't even imagine remarrying but I also can't imagine not being with someone else. This book also talks about how we need to let our picture of 'the good life' die as well if that picture involves our husband. that life is gone. but there is still a good life ahead. i trust that means friendship, love and hope for our family. sorry for the length of this but I really wanted to let you know how I was feeling.

~anonymous