Thankfulness & Faith

It's easy to complain. It was easy these past few months to be overtaken by the disappointments and hardness of the situations I found myself in. It is easy for anyone to get caught up in their own junk and be sad/mad/frustrated/whatever. My small source of strength during this time was/is the now super popular saying "keep calm and carry on." Similar to "don't sweat the small stuff," this phrase was to remind me to just keep going. Because life is hard and you just have to step up. I am not going to discuss my faith, mostly because I am still figuring it out. But I did put a lot of trust in "Keep calm and carry on" because I needed to trust and have faith that things were going to work out. Now I need to have faith that where I ended up is the right place for me.

During this time, it would have been really easy to go all woe is me and I tried really hard not to. There are other people out there who have it way worse than me. There are people I know who still don't have jobs. There are people I know and love who are suffering much greater challenges, with much more grace than I ever could. I think it is important to remember and recognize that. As my Uncle likes to say, "times are tough all over." (Yes, I know he stole it from somewhere else, but I'm on a roll and refuse to look for a citation.) Sometimes it is the struggles of others that make you thankful for what you have.

Today I am thankful that this time was quick for me. It could have stretched on for a long time, and I was preparing for it to. I am thankful that I didn't have to sacrifice more than I did. I am thankful that this situation made me realize just how badly I want to teach. And if that means 2nd grade for awhile, then thats where I'll be.

So where is this coming from you might ask? A certain story I saw today that is more connected to me than I first realized. My friend HD (who awesomely follows my blog) posted a link on her facebook today to the story of baby James. Now I am warning you, you will most likely cry your eyes out when you read it. I did. Seems innocent enough- sad story passed along by a friend, these things happen on the internet all the time. In fact, most of the comments on the blog start out, "you don't know me but....(hopeful message)." Which is great, because this family is truly going through a terrible time. 3 weeks ago everything was fine, and now tragedy. They need love and support. To feel connected and that they are not alone. The internet is great for these things.

As I was reading I realized 2 things. #1- My friend Mallory (whose blog I follow and is a sorority sister) posted about baby james almost 2 weeks ago. I didn't pay much attention to it then, but it also didn't have the blog link. I thought oh, that's sad, and moved on worrying about my own life (selfish selfish!!). Which led me to realization #2 - Mallory knows James' parents personally, because they went to Baylor. When I started reading the blog I realized I have probably met them as well. Apparently we were all in Oxford together the same summer for study abroad. Now I feel terrible that I cannot for the life of me remember them. But it was 6 years ago, and I did hang with my own small group. But really the whole group was not that big and I feel like I should remember them (however, I am terrible about remembering people...). It's crazy when something comes right back around to being more personal that you thought it was. I've eaten meals with these people; been on planes and trains with them. Their story could happen to me, my friends, anyone.

The point is this: it's a small world. We are all connected and everyone is going through something. So be kind to others and be grateful for what you have. Have faith in something bigger than yourself. Hold on to those you love. Be thankful.

:)