Perspective

Hey everyone,

I was going to try to be funny
but I can't
because my brain is frozen.

I am hoping it will thaw out
when (if?) spring comes.

Actually, all whining aside
it wasn't bad out today
although still coat weather.

Yesterday, at Chris's baseball game
in the cold and 30+ mph wind gusts,
I was on the bleachers whimpering.
Seriously.
One of the moms told me so.

I am now officially 38;
my birthday was on Monday.
I had a great one.
Rob was out of town
but he made sure that I had an exceptional birthday anyway.

Plus, I woke up a sign on my bathroom mirror
wishing me a happy birthday.
Life is good!

My best friend from high school, Melanie,
called me and left a message singing Happy Birthday
at 7 AM.
Now *that* is a friend!

My niece Lauren also left me a singing message
and not-quite-three year olds
singing Happy Birthday to a voicemail machine
are the cutest things in the world.

And my brother remembered my birthday
and sent a card!
This is history in the making.

I was well loved and reminded of such
from my parents, stepmom and Rob's family.
Thank you, everyone, for loving me
and wishing me a happy birthday.

You make my life wonderful!
-----------

My heart goes out to the families
and students at Virginia Tech.
A tragedy beyond words.

The boy who lived in Chris's room
before we bought this house
went to VT on a baseball scholarship.
I think he has graduated by now.
I hope so.
I went into Chris's room that night,
my little baseball playing boy
and just rested my hand on his sleeping body.
To most others, he is just a boy.
But to me, he is my life.

I think of my children's lives often
in the context of where we live.
Our next door neighbors lost their son
a few years ago in a car accident.
When my sons are playing outside
and my neighbor sees them,
I can see the pain on her face.
It hurts me, to see her hurt
and loss.

Two doors down from them
(so three down from us)
another neighbor lost their son
of a drug overdose last year
after years of him battling his demons.
Also a tragedy.

We have several neighbors battling cancer
at this moment in time,
including both my next door neighbor
and the mother three down from us.

Sometimes it is hard living in this neighborhood
where there aren't that many young kids
but I tell you what,
living here has brought me a perspective
that I just didn't have before.

You see, in our old neighborhood
everyone had approximately 3.2 kids.
Tons of houses, close together,
with kids elementary and younger
pouring out of every door.
Two bus stops and the bus was full.

But we were all the same.
Young parents, young kids.
Young parent concerns.
Which preschool? Which baseball league?
Whose lawn looks good and whose doesn't?
Stuff like that.
Immediate concerns of a typical, young, middle class
type of neighborhood with lots of kids.

In my current neighborhood,
it is about preparing your children for their lives,
for college,
and knowing that some kids don't make it there.
To college,
or even through their childhood.

It is about being an involved parent
a good spouse
and praying that you will live and be well enough
to watch your kids go through their schooling
and get married.

It's all about perspective.
Hug your kids.