Some Perspective (and a tissue warning)

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I was feeling sorry for myself. I was going to post all about my pity party. I even had a title; “Pity? Party of One?”. I had the tv on in the background, the news was on and I was only half watching/listening. I was intent on blogging about my horrible day/week and how frustrated I am with doctors and home health supply people, feeding tubes, babies who won’t sleep, exceptionally bright 13 year olds with not-so-exceptional grades, and husbands being away, etc, etc.

Then something caught my attention. The name Abby somehow permeated my consciousness. Back in August there was a story in the news about a pregnant woman who contracted the swine flu. She developed pneumonia and was hospitalized. She went into respiratory arrest and was placed in a drug induced coma. Her daughter was born via c-section 3 months early and the mother passed away without ever waking. She never got to meet her daughter. The grieving husband/father named their daughter Abby.

Under any circumstances a story like this would have caught my attention, for awhile anyway. I would have said a prayer for the family and then probably forgot it. I didn’t forget it though. Perhaps because I was pregnant at the time too, the story stuck with me. So when I heard the name Abby I stopped my pity party and listened. When they reported that little Abby had passed away (story here) my heart broke for her daddy, still struggling with losing his wife. I said a prayer for him and his little boy and looked at my computer screen and…

And I felt ashamed. I felt ashamed for forgetting just how lucky I am. My husband is alive. My children are alive. I have faced losing two of my children. I have lived in fear while the man I love was deployed to a war zone. I have watched my best friend struggle with the loss of her daughter. I should know better than to take for granted the fact that the people I love so much are still here where I can hold them. So, I will hold my babies, hug my 13 year old (whether he likes it or not) and text my husband, and I will have a gratitude party instead.
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