Perspective.....

Two really big things happened to me yesterday morning. First I woke up and when online to check Facebook like I do so many times. I had fallen asleep the night before so I didn't really know how everything fell out with the Presidential election.  I was struck by a post from my friend Leslie and after my day ended yesterday, that post seemed to be lingering in the back of my mind and heart.

Leslie wrote:

"Two quotes this morning : Maya Angelou said them both. 1) “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” 2) “We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives.”

On this day of my birth and everyday I choose to adore my family, cherish my friends and live my life.
Stay kind my friends."

 ❤️

Secondly, as I drove to bible study that morning, there was a rainbow right above me. It gave me such a sense of peace and that "everything is gonna be alright" feeling. I really thought in that moment that the washing of peace was related to the state of our country right now. Which in many ways I still believe it was related to that. But I also feel that it was God's personal interaction with me to prepare my heart for what laid ahead in my day.

Sometime towards the evening I was notified that my grandma was not doing well. She had been in the hospital for a little over a week and has been quite sick this year. Overall, she had seemed to be getting better. Talk about perspective with all the negativity going on in our world today, THE ONLY thing that mattered to me yesterday was family! Within a few hours my grandma passed. It has been a long time since I have cried as much as I have in the past 12 hours.  I am heartbroken to not have been there with her, or be there to love on my grandpa and my mom but I am so thankful that she spent this past week with my mom and aunt....and just the day before she passed she was laughing and having a good time with her daughters. 

Leslie's quote reminds me that we can choose to allow the circumstances around us to define our day, our life or our happiness or we can choose to LIVE and LOVE and BE in the moment with the ones that we love and cherish. I don't think I would have had such a profound feeling, if I had not heard those words from a friend. She of course was referring the the election and everything going on around that but it just truly gave me perspective for the day. I was blessed enough to grow up with my grandma (and grandpa) on all sides of my family. I have wonderful memories and heart stories that will forever keep her spirit alive. I am also thankful that my children not only had the chance to have great-grandparents but they really KNOW their great grandparents. Over the last couple years it got harder to go back and visit but luckily we spent a couple weeks there this last summer and I will cherish those memories forever. 

It is this perspective that I will carry with me in the coming months and years. As I am sure will happen, things will be crazy as we go into the next year. Everything going on in our world, in our communities, can tear us apart if we let it. Don't! I have decided that there is NOTHING so important that you should ever lose sight of the love around you. And now I am choosing to rest. Rest in the peace of all the joy in my life. Rest in time that I get to spend with my children. Loving my husband. Knowing my parents. Finding myself. Creating friendships. Mourning with family. Experiencing life. Learning new things. Making memories. This life that we have been given is a gift and we don't know how many days are marked for us....don't waste one more day on hate or discontentment....find your own perspective and I pray that it is love!  And once you find that perspective don't lose sight of it as you go on with your day to day life. xoxoxo

~S 

Psalm 18:28  “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

Before I go I just wanted to leave this little tribute to my grandma here. I loved her so much and I think that I was so much like her. I value the time that I had with her, the lessons she taught and the tough love she gave. There really aren't words to describe how I feel right now at her loss but I do know that she IS NOT IN PAIN. She is probably up in heaven scolding me for the photos I am about to post of her in her pajamas.....and THAT right there....is her spirit I will always remember. I love you grandma.