4 years ago my world stood still

4 years ago today (right now actually), my little darling daughter was having open heart surgery. I know that we all complain at times about how rotten our life is, or why can't I have more money, a loving spouse, bigger house, better car, job I love, etc....but when you experience something like this it really does give you a whole new perspective on life. I have enclosed two pictures - one taken on her first day home from the hospital after her surgery (you can still see the iv mark on her left hand), and a pic taken on her 4th birthday a few days ago.

If you ever really want a reality check you should go and visit the NICU/PICU of a major hospital. Don't get me wrong, what Grace went through was no walk in the park. She struggled to breath after surgery and had to be resucitated numerous
times. But she was so lucky compared to some of the other little ones down in Milwaukee. The one that still haunts me is the little boy that was in the room across from her. He was hooked up to numerous machines, and was fighting desperately for his life. And he was so little. And in the time that we were down there we NEVER saw anyone besides hospital personel enter his room. I don't know if he was abandoned, or if his mom died in childbirth - how heartbreaking. At one point I went in and rubbed his little hand so he would have some kind of human contact. This poor defenseless little baby fighting so hard to live, and having no support there. It chokes me up again just thinking of it.

So, next time you think your life is rotten because of some material possession you don't own, think twice about parents, grandparents, and siblings who have lost a loved one at an early age, or about the children who suffer every day due to some disease, disorder, or the abuse they suffer. We must always remember that life is really not about the material things, but that we have the love and support of family and/or friends. In the end it's the only thing that matters.