Gena: I'm so glad you wrote this! This is a subject I go over and over with in my head and talk about (over and over) with my husband. 4 months ago we had a baby. It's changed our life! It is amazing, it is a life I have chosen. I've also chosen to keep working full time as a teacher. Working full time and trying to be a full time mommy/wife is tough, and I've found myself complaining about how overloaded I am. But, really what I should be doing is rejoicing! I have a healthy baby, a warm house, a working car, a great husband, a loving church family...I could go on. I am making a change. I am going to LOVE the #$%& out of the piles of work I've got on my plate!! And for the record...I LOVE the fact that EMM write the truth!

Well... it's funny cause that person could have been me on facebook. (It wasn't, but it could have been). I have had a really bad year. A really bad past few months, and this past week was the kicker. And I'm not just talking little, petty things... but about genuine tragedy. I lost my mom suddenly, my dad remarried very quickly, and through it all our extended family has seemed to fall apart. It's hard to face so much life-changes on the heels of grieving my mother. This week someone confronted me with more problems they have about me, and that was the straw that broke my back. I had a horrible week. But not because big stuff. But because a bunch of little hurtful arrows punched me in the spine- a spine that was already wounded.
BUT---- yesterday I pulled myself up my boots and I said "no more." I can either let the outside circumstances drain my ability to be a good mother, and lash out to my husband like a wounded animal.. OR I can open up my eyes and see the abundance of blessings sitting right in my living room. That's why the Bible says, "I lift my eyes up to the hills where my help comes from!" Because sometimes we are too close to the forest to see the trees. Sorry this is so long, but Gena you echoed what I was already feeling. Sometimes we just need to stop, take a breath, and look around. Let the gifts around us just soak in and heal those wounds that the world inflicts. Cause sometimes we have bad bad days and we just feel beaten up. But God's faithfulness is always always present. Even to these ones in Japan, we cannot judge the way that God may be working inside of them, carrying them through this awful, awful tragedy. A tragedy that did add much sudden perspective when I found myself picking a fight with the love of my life last night. All it took was one look at yahoo for me to apologize and shut my mouth.

Such a great post and terrific reminder for all of us. (I should start out by addressing your very beginning and say that you ARE a good writer AND wise AND funny!) Over the last month or so I have vowed to be more patient. I hate when I hear myself getting naggy with my kids about picking up toys or not splashing bath water or being messy at lunch time. I keep reminding myself that 25 years from now I will be looking back on these days as the happiest of my life. And the ones that lasted far too briefly. It surely also helps to think of all the things we have that others don't, which right now includes our family and our homes when compared to those in places like Haiti and Japan. Thanks again for reminding us all to be thankful.

Sigh. Yes, this is something that I needed to hear this morning. I have one sick kid that went to the E.R. yesterday and another one getting sick this morning. I made the offhanded remark about wanting to shoot myself!!!!! Then, I thought of the story my dad read me last night about a mother who's baby was swept out of her arms during the tsumani as she was trying to hold on to him.
Yeah, my babies might be snotty, but they are alive and in my arms. It can' be that bad.

Wow, you took the words right out of my mouth. When our power went out yesterday people would complain about having no power for an hour and I couldn't help but think of the people in Japan who have no food, water, homes....I just wanted to put a mirror in front of their face and say, "really, you are really complaining about this."
What I am taking from this horrible tragedy is that we need to appreciate all that we have. Cherish every moment we have with our friends and family and to not let the little bumps in life bring us down. It's something that we should already practice in our lives and through our relationships and hopefully we can put those thoughts into actions.
Your honesty is truly appreciated Gena and such an inspiration to us all!

I love this post! I so like my soap box- I get up on it and I complain about others attitudes all the time! How others aren't living their lives how I am. How the choices their making are harming others around them and the Earth. How my kids are just so ungrateful and their attitudes about everythin bring me down. But you know where they get it- of course from ME!

Not only do I have to change my attitude to one of gratitude but I have to change how I'm putting it out there...so I can set a better example. For them, for me or for the stranger reading my blog or over hearing my conversation. I can be all negative and judgemental but really I shouldn't I just need to stop and find the joy that's there everyday.