January 1, 2016: A Change of Words

Boys playing a charade game in the back seat in route to Vegas

I went to bed last night planning on writing a blog about my three sons. The story in my mind centered around my observations of their spending time together again. Brotherly bonding for them. Heart warming for me.

And then I awoke to terrible news. Our friends' son died tragically last night. My parenting perspective quickly changed from one of warm fuzzies to a feeling of complete disbelief and heartache.

Life can be so cruel. God has a plan and although that plan inevitably includes death, it is so difficult to grasp the death of the someone so young and so full of good.

Perspective.

Life changing overnight is a wake up call to embrace the fullness of life. We do this by centering ourselves around the people in our lives who really matter, while walking away from the noise that holds us back. So often we get caught up in our daily routines without perspective in our focus. We need to be more like the young man who tragically died, living each day in a Godly way.

Although my three sons were together in Fort Collins, I called each of them individually this morning. I told them I loved them. And then I told them about our friends' son. They understood the call.

The fragility of life should never be taken for granted. Each cherished moment with the people we love is a blessing.

My advice for the day....

Hug your kids and call your parents. Reach out to the brother you haven't talked to in months. Send a note to an old friend. Tell them you love them and give them the gift of your time. Every day and every moment matters.