6.09.2009

read...

If you have a moment, click on the "I read Nie Nie" icon on the side of my blog. I usually tear up when I read her posts, but today especially. Her life puts my own in to perspective. I would only hope to have her faith and optimism if I were to experience a near death tragedy that left me burned that badly.

I try to explain to my girls at work that life will be full of ups and downs. The least of their struggles will be in a residential treatment centre... but I know full well that they rarely believe this. For most up to this point, this is the biggest challenge they have faced. They can't fathom that life after 18 does not magically erase any hardship or obstacle. Some will live life with goodness and hope, while some will sadly continue their destructive path to a sad and tragic life.

It's about choice and what we do with the one thing we have control over. Even my fortune cookie had it right today!

"Your choices at the moment will be good ones. Trust yourself"

5 comments:

rocky said...

Well said. We had Chinese dinner last night - I wished I'd kept my fortune. It made us laugh - something about being frugal - how appropriate!

Monica said...

Thanks for the thoughts, I loved (and needed) the perspective.

dani said...

Nie Nie really is an amazing person. Before her accident she inspired me to just look at the simple joys in motherhood. Since the accident, I have just been in awe of her. The post a few weeks back where she talked to her girls, that just made me bawl. Well, they all do these days. She has an amazing spirit and really is an inspiration of having faith and optimism in such sad and challenging circumstances.

The parenting classes we just took were all about teaching our kids how to make choices. The instructor told us that she tells her kids (mostly foster kids): "I will love you no matter how hard or easy you choose to make your life."

That really stuck with me, because although she was talking about making good vs. bad choices, it also relates to how we deal with things. What it boils down to is that we have a choice.

There are lots of things we can't control in life, but we can control how we deal with challenges that come our way.

HRH said...

Great post. I've read that blog and always forget about how good it is. It will be awesome when one day we really do get everything and understand what's really important, what to freak out about and what to enjoy.

rocky said...

Boy - I really missed the main point of this post. Nei Nei's blog always gets to me. I can't begin to imagine her life. The writing is so beautiful and poignant.