The Day We Become Aware

So often we take things for granted in our everyday life; until we lose someone. That’s the day we become highly aware of our surroundings, the people in our lives, and how the little things matter the most. Often, we’re also unaware of our presence in others' lives. We simply don’t know if we’ve made an impact on someone, have influenced someone’s life, or how we’ve touched others' lives.

This week I was blessed, with not one, but two people that reached out to me. One wrote: “Hey Peggy, I just wanted to let you know I thought about you today. I’m writing a paper about my childhood development and who influenced me. I thought of you because you always made me feel safe and, whether I liked it or not, you always set clear boundaries and expectations. (I fully understand the importance of that now 😊.) Love ya.” Not only did that completely melt my heart and bring a tear to my eye, I was totally unaware of her feelings on our relationship in her adolescence. She has grown into a wonderful young woman with a beautiful sole. I love that girl!

The other shared with me, and then on Facebook, how much BJ impacted her life and influenced who she is today. She wrote: “I want you to know no matter what happened with me and BJ I ALWAYS had fun with him, he always made me smile, and brought out great parts of me that I didn’t know existed! He taught me how to have fun sober, off meth. He was a big part in my recovery. I could have never thanked him enough that he was part of my life. BTW: still clean! One more thing…Peggy, thank you for always making me feel at home when home was so far away. Means a lot. I’ll always remember how kind & sweet you were when I was with BJ too; it means a lot! I love you!” First, I never knew she was a recovering addict and hearing her story is a blessing beyond words. Second, it doesn’t surprise me what she wrote about BJ because he was that way with people. He wanted to have fun and he truly cared about people; especially his people. Shortly out of high school, he helped another young gal with her recovery. I used to carry her before/after photos with me, because I had such amazement at how beautiful she was in the after photos and how those two photos were so different from each other. It brings such joy to hear these sentiments about my son. I wish he knew how much he was loved and how much he touched lives.

In times of grief, it is nice to get a break from the sorrow and loss we feel, to feel joy. This week, during the midst of prepping to be out of town for work later in the month, I was blessed to have people brighten my day with their memories and their kindness. The world needs more of that. Grief can suck everything out of you. It can leave you feeling lonely and wondering… “what really matters in life?” This, what I write today, that’s what really matters; touching someone’s life, sharing and thanking someone that has touched your life, and knowing to be grateful for everyday moments. Be grateful for the things so often taken for granted.