The Crapshoot Called Life

Today is going to be a tough day.  Sometimes something happens and you realize all at once the mantra that you're always telling your kids: Life Simply Isn't Fair.  One of my friends from Taekwondo lost her mother this week.  She is young.  She doesn't have a large family to fill in the gaps, to be there for her, to hold her and comfort her.  She received a ton of support from our Taekwondo family, and I'm so thrilled we can all be here for her.  She is a great girl, and she will go far in life with a good attitude. 

But it gets me thinking, because that's what I'm best at doing.  I have a HUGE family.  I have a HUGE support system.  When something goes wrong, there are always people around to help pick up the pieces.  I was blessed with that due to a crapshoot.  Some people aren't. 

When I was growing up, my Dad always said, "You're so lucky to be growing up in America."  He'd say this when I refused to eat my peas, implying that some starving child in Ethiopia would probably give their right arm to eat my peas, and everything else on my plate too.  I think it was a lesson to me: be happy for what you have and not for what you think you don't have.  There are so many people out there who have a lot less than I do.  They have less family members to help pick up the pieces when someone they love dies.  They have less support, less food, less money and yet sometimes these people with less make MORE of their lives. 

In times like these, I like to be thankful for what I have.  I have wonderful friends who are caring and understanding, despite my sometimes unreasonable expectations of them.  They always forgive me when I'm being selfish or stupid, or less than empathetic.  They are always there for me, and in turn I hope they feel like I'm always there for them.

I have a big family with loving parents and siblings.  Yes, sometimes we don't get along, but I know each and every one of them has my best interest at heart.  I love my siblings passionately.  I love my parents with all their unique idiosyncrasies.  I'm so thankful that I have them for support, and I only wish everyone else had the same type of familial love that I have enjoyed.  I wish everyone could feel blessed the way I do. 

Life is not fair.  We are not given the same things when we are born.  We take what we get, and we have to make the best of it.  We have to endure the hardships in order to live the joy.

Today, my goal is to be thankful for my friends and to be supportive of a young girl who, if life was fair, wouldn't be having to face the tragedy of losing a parent at such a young age.