I had encounter with someone last week that caused me to pause and consider my blessings. I have mentioned something in this vein before, but after talking to a friend I had not seen in a while, I am reminded we all need to be thankful for things that never happened: in the sense of the Robert Frost poem we all had to memorize in junior high school about the 'road not taken'. It gave me a great and greater appreciation for the way my life has played out, and an awareness of things that don't happen can be of greater import along the 'path' than the things that make a noticeable, memorable impact.
The friend is someone I used to see every day when she was my supervisor at work, but I have not found the time to sit and talk with for months and months. I saw her last week, and inquired about life in general. She knew from the last time we had conversation, that she has been through some really rough spots recently. I knew she was committed to providing encouragment and comfort to a significant other who has had monunental health problems: months long hospital stay and extensive rehab. But he is fairly stable and she seems to be content.
Her daughter, (who lives with the ex-exhusband) just graduated from high school a week ago, and is planning to start tech. school to get trained in dental hygiene, called to report she is pregnant. She has already been to the dr. for her first prenatal check, and the baby-daddy did go with her. But what a long row to start at her age, with so much potential/promise out there, getting farther and farther away...
So I can feel a sharp pain in my chest, and think 'what a heartache! To think, as a Mom, that you had finally gotten the last child safely through the wailing and gnashing of high school and looking forward to seeing her start out into the world to pursue her dreams, jumping out of the nest... and now this. Wow.
I saw someone recently (connected to SF and my former life) who asked about family, just doing the two minute 'lets' update' standing in the produce department. He asked about daughters and got the happy dance as my initial response. Then the Cliff Notes summary of their lives: happy, healthy, financially independent.
What a blessing. Thank You Very Much.
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