Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Perspective

So yesterday, I came in here with balloons and streamers and a plan to throw myself a pity party. I was going to tell you all how work has been "alternately making me homicidal and suicidal" (tm Alice), and how I'm fairly sure I have at least one, but probably two, kidney stones and no time to go to the doctor. Basically, my life has been stinking it up in here. And I was feeling MIGHTY sorry for myself yesterday. But then, something happened that put my life into perspective. I made a business call - just a regular, ordinary call to a business associate whom I had just met. He explained that he could not come to my office this week because there had been a death in his family. His 14 year old daughter had died suddenly, unexpectedly, the night before. I don't have many details and I have no idea what caused her death. I think she died at home, in bed. But the man was devastated. And while I don't believe in the, "shut up about your little problems, there is always someone worse off" school of thought, I have to admit, it DID make me see that despite some little difficulties, my life is damn good. My husband and I and both of our beautiful little children woke up this morning. Maybe we didn't pop out of bed with sunshine and rainbows streaming out of our asses, but we're all here. So for this week, we will be focusing on the positive here at Notthedaddy. Tomorrow, there will be fun and games. But first, today, we're going to have a moment of silence for a 14 year old girl who is no longer with us and her grief-stricken family. May God give them comfort, because I can't think of any available here on earth.

16 comments:

Fiona Picklebottom said...

As someone with a 14-yr-old daughter, I find what that man is going through horrifying to contemplate. So I, like you, will just be thankful that we're all here, going through whatever, be it good or bad.

d e v a n said...

:( That's so sad! P&PT for them!

Pickles and Dimes said...

That is awful; that poor man and his family.

Shelly said...

Fiona - I know. I think that's why it stopped me in my tracks yesterday. It's got to be every parent's worst nightmare.

Shelly said...

Devan - thank you.

Shelly said...

Shauna - agreed. I'm going to get a card at lunch to send to them.

Alice said...

oh man. that will stop and put things into perspective, won't it? their family will definitely be in my thoughts.

Shelly said...

Alice - yeah, it will. It was the kick in the pants I needed, though. I was really getting bogged down in small problems.

Anonymous said...

Oh sweet jeezus. That is just not fair and frankly should not be allowed. It just shouldn't.

Shelly said...

Shelly - I totally agree. It's awful.

Janssen said...

Oh, how devastating. Thanks for the wake up call.

Unknown said...

As I sit here with my hand over my mouth in absolute astonishment.... you're right. Perspective!

Last November we took our 2 year old son to the Children's Hospital ER at 8am on a Saturday morning with what I thought was pneumonia. I was all kinds of teary eyed and feeling sorry for myself because it had been days since I'd slept. While we waited, a woman came in alone, with her 2 children and told the receptionist "He has cancer, he can't wait with the other kids" as she motioned to the 3 year-old boy she was carrying. Yes. Perspective.

It comes in many packages. Bless you for seeing that your life is good, even when there are bumps in the road!

TSintheC said...

My heart hurts for that poor family.

Shelly said...

Janssen - thank you.

Shelly said...

Hyphen - agreed. Cancer will really put pneumonia into perspective for you. And thank you.

Shelly said...

Hot - mine too. I've thought about them almost constantly.