This morning, I was obviously not focusing on work & my mind began to wander. My mind began to wander, thinking of all the sacrifices made by my parents & their parents & I'm sure their parents............ & why were those sacrifices made? More than likely in hopes of providing better lives for their children.
I remember my great-grandmother telling me how she was widowed in her 20's with a brood of young children. She had to figure out how to provide for them & keep the family afloat, while she was trying to run the farm. (As God would have it, my pretty amazing great-grandfather walked into her life & the rest was history.) I think of how my grandfather fought under General Patton in WWII and nearly lost his life when a jeep toppled onto him. It's hard-telling how many other close calls he had. My paternal grandfather came to the U.S. as a toddler; how hard must his parents have worked to make that happen! My father worked tirelessly my entire life, sun-up to sun-down to provide for our family. I recall my mother working the night shift when we were young, all in the name of providing for her children.
Numerous, infinite sacrifices made by my loved one's and ancestors, each and every one striving to be better and to make the lives of their families better.
Who are we not to be thankful for those sacrifices & utilize the opportunities afforded to us because of them. Education is a good start, but I'm also referring to every other facet of our lives. There should be an innate sense of motivation, fueled by that gratitude to live our lives to the fullest in every way, in some meager attempt to repay them for all they've done. We should try to be the best human beings we can be, helping & doing for others as much as possible, always sharing a kind smile and a kind word. We should instill strength & confidence into our children, by standing up & showing them what it means to be an honest, strong person, making difficult decisions when necessary. We should nurture & encourage our children, trying to open as many doors of opportunity as possible. We should take care of our bodies, out of respect for the amazing being God has created us to be & because we need to be as healthy as He deems possible in order to carry out His purpose in our lives.
How can we have the audacity to take any of this for granted & not give this life our all?! We should always keep pushing, always trying to be more.
I don't know where this is coming from, but I am overwhelmed and humbled by the absolutely amazing people in my life. I know everyone isn't so fortunate. I can proudly say I have a family full of good character & integrity, who have always had my best interests at heart. It is my duty to make them & God proud of the woman I come to be. I cherish this life & plan to make the most of it.
~Amen
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