My mother, who was here the last week, came down with the cold that several of us already had. I would say, "God bless you!" when she sneezed and she would reply, "And may God bless you, too!" to which I would then reply, "and he has, in so many ways." Then I would start to think of the ways I am blessed: a supportive, loving extended family, wonderful spouse, amazing, healthy children, devoted friends, beautiful home in a safe neighborhood, food on the table... I could go on and on.
Today, I feel so very thankful for all of that and more as I just completed the autobiography a stolen life, a memoir by Jaycee Dugard. It was a quick read. It was a compelling recount of the horrible life she has survived. What an inspiration she is to emerge on the other side, free of hate, full of hope. It is not a pleasant book as it includes details that no one should have to have endured. And as I read it, I chose the next, happier book that I would be reading to keep me motivated to finish it so that I could move on. I never considered not finishing it... I needed to get through it as Jaycee finally got through it. I needed to hear the happy ending of her tale, in her words. It was not enough to know she was liberated... I needed to read for myself that she prevailed.
And it confirmed my thought for the day, "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." (Benjamin Franklin) Guess what I am doing next...
No comments:
Post a Comment