Here comes the sun

The New England area has been under water for the last week and a half. Several towns north of Boston are flooded and life has been forced to stop for the time being. Schools and towns have been forced to shut down and wait for the waters to recede. Today is the first day that the rain has ceased, and the sun is coming out of hiding.

For most, there is a renewed spring in their step and a feeling that “this too shall pass” and summer will soon be on it’s way.

Unfortunately, for my friends, the rain may as well still be pouring down. We recently found out that in our group of friends, the younger brother of one of us was tragically killed in a boating accident. He was 21 years old. Just days away from his college graduation. I never met him, but for some reason I am very emotional for the loss. Perhaps it is because I can remember the hope and promise that came with college graduation. The wonderful years of true self discovery that followed and have lead me to where I am today. My heart aches for the parents, who lost their youngest child. Contemplating starting a family soon, I can only begin to imagine the devastation that something like this would cause.

I was going to share about how Ryan and I went to San Diego this past weekend. We saw the zoo and the monkeys. We dined on great food and really enjoyed the time together. But rather, I will remind you, as life tends to remind us in an occasion like this… to love and truly live your life. Sure, there are parts of life that stink. People don’t like their jobs or have struggles with family or money. It’s all too easy to look up from life and not know where the last weeks, months or years have gone. Many of us struggle with diabetes in our bodies or in our children, and wonder how or why this happened to us.

I hope that having struggles with my health only helps me see how intensely sweet life really is. Sure living with diabetes is scary. I see the complications that this disease can cause set into my friends, and I worry for myself. I can feel overburdened by the pump and testing my sugar, always worrying about highs and lows. The oh so real and concerning “what if’s” of life. Today I am renewing my commitment to see the joy in everyday events, and remember that God will only give us as much as we can handle and learn from.

So in memory of our friend “Auggie” I ask you to smile a little more often, compliment your fellow neighbors, give your children the extra bedtime story, and acknowledge that this life we live is only as wonderful as we let it be. When the rain comes, go outside and splash in the puddles, watch in awe as trees drink in the water to nourish their leaves. Remember to see the beauty in everyday life. Let the people you love know you love them, and most importantly, make sure that in this busy world, you take the time to love yourself.