don't lose the perspective

pete's first week back to work was successful. i am grateful for that. while he was back at work and i home with the boys trying to get on a new routine i realized that this is my chance to create whatever kind of new habits i want in our family. i can put back exactly what i want back into our lives and leave behind the old ways that weren't working so well. i have spent time pondering what kind of life is most important to us now and how to execute that life on a daily basis. then i got a reminder of what is most important for us to remember.

i got an email from a friend with a link to someone's blog who is currently going through a horrible tragedy with many similar events, treatments, and feelings that we experienced 2 months ago. check out their story here.

i haven't been able to stop thinking about their experience. it has been such a painful reminder that this earth life is full of tragedy and heartache; it is happening all around us and sometimes in the lives of those we know, but mostly it happens all around us without us even knowing. we can get so caught up in our lives, our petty trials or our own happiness that it's so easy to forget that others are hurting and suffering. i know we can't do something for everyone who feels pain or who suffers, but it seems important to not forget others and to do whatever we can.

so, as i've thought about how to rebuild our new lives, habits, and routines i want to be sure that as many of our routines as possible somehow include a way to help others lift their burdens or ease their pains. i am reminded that the only thing we all have is our humanness, and i believe we must all use the gift of our humanness to do something, find a way to help someone. it's what we're all here for, right???