Cherish the moments you have today for tomorrow is not guaranteed.
I have been trying to figure out what to say in this blog for two days. I was stumped and I feel like all my emotions and thoughts have been for those whose lives will never be the same again after the tragedy in Texas.
Everyone that has lost a loved one suddenly can attest to the fact that it feels like a piece of you is ripped away leaving a very large wound. I remember people saying “time heals all wounds” and at the time I hated it. I can say that yes it does; but a large scar is left. How many times I found myself crying, or would wake up crying? It was many years. Then there are the times when you think; what would they be like today? and you just have to believe that wherever they are they are happy.
My little sister was 10 when she passed away. It hit me really hard that most of the lives taken too soon were that same age she was when she was taken. She was not taken with a bullet so I can not fathom how much harder it is for the families. I cannot imagine what it is like for those that are part of the community.
What I do know is that so much of this time becomes a blur. You just want to wake up and have it all be one very bad nightmare. The wounds right now are fresh. In your mind you want there to be some mistake, but you know that they will never walk though the door again.
I was not a photographer at the time that my sister died. But I did love to have a camera in my hands. (It was before there was a camera in every cell phone.) I do remember knowing I had been snapping pictures of what we had been doing that day and wondering if I had taken some of her. Then every picture and every little video becomes the special memories of the time you had together.
So I just want to say make sure your loved ones know they are loved. Put those pictures on the walls, in the books, on the fridge! Don’t wait for someone to be gone before you celebrate life. Is all your memories still just on a digital platform? That’s wonderful to have but make sure that is not where everything is. There are many resources out that explain different reasons why displaying images is helpful for children, But I think I can take it one step farther and say even for adults. It is a way of showing that you are loved. And what better way to lift up your mood throughout the day than to see the faces of those you love.
Life is too precious to let the days go by unnoticed. Everyday has significance. Every. Single. Day.