stronger than i thought

I came across this beautiful piece of artwork this morning

while checking the many blogs I read.

This, posted by a Mother of two young girls

who is fighting metastatic breast cancer.

BB asks me often, "Mom why do all your friends

have some kind of illness?"

Many times I do not have an answer.

This morning I realize the reason is that God

puts me in these friends lives because

he knows in their future they will possibly

need a friend like me. The kind who is

all over their space ready to give to them

and their families whether they want it or not.

I do believe I have some subconscious, selfish motives in

these friendships because it is only in giving back

to others that I truly see how fortunate I have

and continue to be.

I mean it puts life into perspective for me.

Like, really, do I have a right to complain about

my back issues when my sister suffers in

unimaginable pain as she tries to come back

from an infection in both knees?

Do I have a right to complain when Dev.

fights for her life with bone cancer and the

loss of her own child.

Do I have a right to complain when

Gina B. died not being able to scratch her

own nose but never lost the smile to her face?

Do I have a right to complain when P.

deals with the news of cancer and the

mental games that comes with that diagnosis?

My answer is, Yes sometimes it is okay to complain

as long as I pick up the pieces after my tantrum

and realize that I am more than that.

I am stronger than I thought I was.

I read my Mission statement and realize

that my purpose in this world, my

purpose for God sparing my life

is not to sit in self-pity and waste my life.

It is to give back more than I get.

I am back on tract.

Visited my school yesterday, saw many of my friends,

visited my "special class"

danced with my C.S. as we did many days while working

and remembered why I love that job.

My mind is set on a goal, I choose not to loose it again.

SHE WAS STRONGER THAN SHE THOUGHT