So I was sitting here at the computer trying to decide what I was going to write about today, with at least three topics coming to mind right away. And then, without warning, a fourth topic popped into my mind and it immediately became apparent that this is what I was going to write about.
And here it is. It's a far cry from what I've posted in the past few weeks since I started blogging again, so prepare yourself. (The meme should have been a dead giveaway.)
There have been a lot of things that have happened to me in the course of my 64 trips around the sun that have had in impact on my life, but they all pale in comparison to the one thing that has impacted my life the most and made such a significant impact on me and my way of thinking.
That one thing was the passing of my father in March. This is easily the most significant thing that has ever happened to me, and it has had a profound effect on me, my way of looking at things, and my life in general.
I consider myself very lucky to have had both of my parents until I was 64 years old. My father lost his mother when he was 35, and he lost his father seven years later. (My mother was never close to her mother and her step-father, and their passing was more of a relief than it was a tragedy. And that's all I have to say about that.) But I was blessed enough to have my father until I was 64, and my mother is still truckin' right along at 90 years of age, bless her heart.
My father's passing brought my own mortality screaming up at me, stopping right in my face and causing me to think about my life, how I was running it, how I could improve, and how I could make the best of each day. Since that moment I have come to appreciate life more, and I realize now more than ever that each day we have on this blue ball we call home is a gift from God, and that we should take advantage of that gift and use it as best we can. And I really do try to do that, I really do.
I brought this blog back to life because I needed a place - a safe place - to vent my frustrations on the events taking place in our country, and so far it's served its purpose very well. (The Facebook Nazis can't get me here!) But there's more to this blog than I've shown so far; there's more that I can use it for, and I have done that in the past. Now it's time to do that again.
There's more to me than just the negative I've posted here so far. I wake up each morning thankful that I did, knowing that God has given me another day on Earth to do with as I wish, and that I need to make the best of it. I'm thankful for every moment I have, and I realize that the day is indeed a gift from God.
I'm thankful for my life and the friends I have in it. I'm especially thankful for my friends who have taken the time and made the effort to get to know me, to move past the stern, brusque exterior mask (because that's what it is, a mask) and get to know the person behind it. Those people have found that I am a true friend in every sense of the word, and I want them to know that I appreciate what they have done for me and that I'm very thankful for that.
I'm not the asshole some may think I am, and if you took a moment or two to try and get past my mask you'd see that.
But I'm thankful for those of you who have, and I will forever be your friend. I'll also always be thankful for each and ever day God gives me, and every night before I go to sleep I tell Him so. I thank Him for the day He gave me and express my hope that He gives me another. I ask for His protection and blessings for the friends and family in my life, including those with whom my relationship is somewhat less than cordial or friendly. Then I go to sleep, and I sleep very well.
Like the meme says, every day is a gift, and that's why they call it 'the present.' I cherish each day on this planet and my friends who share it with me, and I try to make the best of each day. And today is no different.
So let me ask you: what will you do with your day today?
Deo Vindice
IHC
No comments:
Post a Comment