Rude Awakening

The other morning I woke up crabby and out of sorts. My youngest daughter started to harass me before I even opened my eyes. My older two girls wouldn't get ready for school and I had to practically scream at them to get them moving. I wanted to write, but I had a whole laundry list of things to do and knew I'd be running all day long instead of getting lost in the book that has been consuming me lately.

In short, I was not a happy camper.

I took my daughter to pre-school, muttering under my breath about bills that I couldn't pay and where was I going to find the money for Christmas presents the whole way. I was grouchy and whiny because it seemed like I worked so hard and was getting no where.
Then I walked into the school and saw something that snapped me right out of that funk.

A child who went to school with my middle daughter just lost her father. He was 38 years old and died of a massive heart attack.

Suddenly my complaints seemed so trivial, so pathetic. Talk about your wake up calls! This one smacked me right upside the head. Here I was complaining about the kids not listening to me and this family lost their father/husband.

I realized I am extremely lucky to not only be alive and well, but to have so many friends and family around me who are alive and well too. The stress of getting ready for Christmas faded from my shoulders as I recognized the fact that Christmas is about family and I'm damn lucky to be able to spend the holidays with them.

So, to all of you running like crazy as you try to get presents bought and cards sent out, keep in mind that you are alive and well enough to do this. I'm so thankful for all my blessings, and I'm going to strive to keep them in mind through all the craziness the month brings.