Your kids are beautiful.

A chance meeting with a friend a few days ago, brightened my attitude more than expected.

I had just gotten back from an MRI; mentally I needed to get some exercise and get my mind off of the fact that I’m in need of yet another look at my knee by professionals.  Once inside the gym, I saw a friend; one that I had been pretty close to at one time for a short period.  We talked for several minutes about knee injuries and recovering from them; I met his wife for the first time; and I was able to get a good boost of positive feelings from this conversation.  He’s a very positive person.

As I worked my knee on the bike, I thought about our conversation and how things could turn out very differently than the negative way I was portraying them to now be.  The outcome of the MRI was uncertain and it scared me.

Just before he left, he pointed at me and hollered across the room, “Your kids are beautiful”, and he started to walk towards the door.  The whole room turned to look at me, all of them smiling.  My first thought was to look at them and say, “They really are”, but instead I looked back at Mark and said, “Thank you, they enjoy seeing you every week”.

I didn’t think much more about my knee the rest of the day.  I thought about my kids and my wife.  I thought about how much they mean to me and no matter how messed up my knee is, I still have them in my life.  I’m more thankful for those three kids and my beautiful wife than I ever could be for a knee.

What are you thankful for this week?

 

…running through my mind…

A beautiful day

Yesterday was not exactly what I’d call a beautiful day. 

Don’t get me wrong the weather in Kansas City was awesome, perfect weather for us to browse around at a small pumpkin patch at a church in town and buy a few pumpkins to carve later in the week.  The weather was awesome enough to play outside once we got home, also awesome enough for me to walk around the neighborhood in shorts and a shirt after sunset with our children to look at the Halloween decorations that many of our neighbors display.

I was able to have coffee with a friend that I do not spend enough time with.  We were able to catch up and then be there for each other during a tough time in my life yesterday morning and from talking to him later, it was a tough time in his life as well. 

I was able to watch my children get balloons made for them at Red Robin; a Heart, a Monkey and a Shark.  The smiles on their faces were priceless.  I got to hear my youngest daughter laugh like she was going to stop breathing when all three of them were throwing balloons at each other during the car ride home. 

I was blessed to receive numberous text messages, emails, and calls from people who are close to me.  All of them letting me know that they are here for me and my family. 

I also got to eat a wedding cake from the weekend with a couple of fellow workers and hear about the wedding itself; a good story of a  couple of people starting a new life with each other.  I also split lunch with the two of them just prior to that, discussing things that had transpired at work since one of them had left for vacation. 

I also was blessed to spend time with my wife.  I am sane because of the love she has for me.  It is much easier for me to care for other people and see the good in people, because of the good she sees in me.

Our family did get some bad news yesterday, but somehow the day wasn’t controled by that news. 

I guess it really was a beautiful day, and as Bono would say, “Don’t let it get away”.

I won’t let it get away God, I won’t.

…running through my mind…