How have you been this week?
This week I had three reminders of how quickly life can change. One was great – a business connection to whom I hadn’t spoken in a long time reached out and said some of my favorite words: “My organization really needs to hire you!” Why thank you!
Two of these reminders were awful.
One of my closest friends stopped by someone’s home for a welcome visit and was attacked by the family dog. He did everything right in interacting with this dog (they had met before) and yet, broken skin, muscle and bone.
That same day, my son fell and was injured quite badly. Badly enough that he needed an ambulance and, well, I’ll spare you the pictures. It was pretty gruesome (even for his doctor-mom). In the heat of all this, I just did each next thing, like you do.
It took about 24 hours for everything to settle enough for the bigger “Holy @#$@!” to set in for me. The reminder of how fragile life can be.
Also, how resilient. That resilience is the necessary counterpoint to fragility, and it encourages me to step towards the change I want in my life, instead of sitting back and waiting.
These reminders – especially when things turn out OK (and they have) – are the gifts of these struggles and near-tragedies. For me, they remind me to say the thing I’ve been afraid to say, reach for the goal that’s hard but worthwhile, enjoy the moment right in front of me…
I’m really hoping you haven’t been through an awful reminder this week. This week, you don’t need one. You can use mine! What does that awful reminder of fragility give you the motivation to do?
Comment, I really want to know!
