A long time ago life taught me not to believe in cooincicdences.  I believe in life experiences teaching us something instead.  I believe that the experiences that we are given are given to us for particular reasons and that we need to learn from these experiences.  I am also glad that these experience are unique to me and teach me exactly what I need to learn in life.  I'm often amazed when these "coincidences" happen in my life.  My best friend "coincidently" moved into my neighborhood. I "coincidently" have the best job in the world that benefits both my children's special needs and typical needs.  I "coincidently" have met some of the nicest and most supportive people through my life experiences.  I "coincidently" moved into the best neighborhood in the valley.  Luckily, these "coincidences" continue to happen in my life and I continue to benefit from them.  I also love when I "coincidently" help someone or I have the opportunity to affect someone else's life.   I just experienced another "coincidental" meeting the other day and I cherish the interactions as they come.  I also love to sit back and take stock of these "coincidences" or I'd rather refer to them as blessings in my life.  I am so blessed and it helps me recognize them as they come into my life.

Last week I found myself barganing for blessings.  "Heavenly Father please just make my hair work and the children's church clothes to just magically appear and have them get dressed on their own without help.  I won't ask for anything else."  Then I realized that what I was wishing for was so trivial that it I truely needed to appologize for the barganing.  When I actually sat down and acknowledged His hand in my life and the blessings that I have been given on a daily basis I was amazed at how many were just dropping into my lap.  I just needed to acknowledge them.  I'm going to make a short list, not to brag, but so that I can remember them if I need them later.

• my children were protected in the car accident 
• my husband was not seriously hurt
• we were in our SUV rather than the family car that we use on a regular basis and can't do without
• my arm should not require surgery 
• I could have been injured so much more and I won't even go there
• I still have the use of my hand and am beginning to get some movement back with this soft cast rather than a huge, heavy, hard traditional cast.
• I can still take a bath even with a broken arm
• My boys (all of them-especially the big one) are treating me like spun glass
• My beautiful son is healing from his surgery amazingly
• He seems so much more comfortable and seems to be reponding to us more
• I have the cutest and best kids in the world who race to help mom with only the promise of a hug and a kiss as bribery.
• My youngest tells me on a daily basis that he "will always take care of me."
• My middle son delights in learning new skills that I just can't seem to do with one hand like grating cheese, emptying the dishwasher (don't tell him I can do this), folding clothes, picking up around the house (again don't mention the one handed thing)
• My neighbors have been so helpful and wonderful to bring food and help watch my children regularly so that I can rest and heal
• My friends are there and so quick to help take care of me - physically and emotionally

etc,etc,etc,etc,etc,etc.....

This list could go on for days and might actually as I notice more in my daily life.  I highly recommend taking a moment to take stock and count you blessings.  Once you do, it is hard not to acknowledge where and who is responsible for those blessings.  I then am able to realize that I am a cherished daughter who is never to far from her Fathers thoughts and hands. 

 

Since our car accident I have had a lot of time on my hands.  Although the injury appears minor it has had a huge impact on my life. I am not able to care for my children and family as I am used to.  I have had a lot of time for reading and too much time for t.v.  I just heard a quote that I love and wanted to jot down the thoughts that it brought to mind.  He said that if I leave here today with nothing (yes I was watching a game show and he was talking about prize money) I have found I am a rich man indeed.  I know exactly how he feels.  He was referring to all of the love and support that he has received since he had found he would be on the game show.  My experience, although I didn't win the grand prize, is the same.  Through this trial I have learned what wonderful friends and neighbors and family I have.  I have been so supported through this.  My family has been so well cared for.  I have had my every need from food to being driven around to emotional support met before I knew of the need.  I am a very rich woman indeed.  I have wonderful neighbors, friends, and family.  I am truely wealthy in this life. Thank you to all those who are constantly helping me and my little family.

Given what has been going on in my life lately I have had a lot of time for self reflection.  This usually isn't a bad idea because reflection usually leads to discovery and thus definition. I'm afraid this may come off as smug, however, that is not my intent, but rather the opposite.  To acknowledge the "gardner" in my life, and welcome all that I have been afforded by this life.   

I have a beautiful orchid in my kitchen window.  Now this doesn't sound all that amazing, unless you realize that I generally kill anything green.  All of my houseplants look great because they are silk.  Everything that I plant in my yard dies within a very short matter of time, no matter if they are pansies or marigolds.  My cactus that I bought at the Grand Canyon died.  But my orchid seems to be thriving.  People tell me how difficult it is to grow orchids.  How they never survive, let alone thrive in the climate I live in, yet mine blooms and grows.  I attribute its well being to perfect placement.  It is right next to my kitchen sink so I actually remember to water it.  It also is in the warmest spot in my house with southern exposure and an abundance of warm sunlight.  With its prominent place in my kitchen I notice it often and care for it more than any plant in my house.  Somehow someone with a "black" thumb can care for and grow orchids.

I cannot help but to liken my life to that orchid.  My life experiences are unique, not unlike those of an orchid.  The blessings that I face on a daily basis are not of the regular garden variety.  Some would call them difficult, yet somehow admist all this moss I bloom and grow. 

One of my favorite songs is by Michael McLain entitled "What I need."  In the song it says that I don't live "in a mansion on a hill,  have a love like in the movies, I've been given what I need."  The life experiences I have been given are hand chosen with my best interest in mind.  They've been handed out with perfect precision so that I might bloom and even thrive.  No one else would thrive in this situation and some might even wilt, but like my orchid, my life experiences are tailored with exactly the right situations that I need.  I just need to be open to them and learn what they have to teach me. I have found that if I am willing to step back and look at the situation. or give it enough time to see, everything will afford me with a learning experience. 

I hope that I can always welcome these experiences.  That I can always see the silver linings that are given along with the difficult.  If I welcome them as they come then I too can become a beautiful orchid amung regular garden variety of life experiences.

I can't seem to sleep for all of the thoughts running through my head tonight.  We're getting ready to go on vacation and I'm feeling overwhelmed; my list of things to do keeps growing, yet I'm doing nothing to get ready.  Today was the last day of kindergarten and I'm feeling sad.  I had a fun day with my boys, helping at school, eating a celebratory lunch and purchasing new shoes for summer and I'm feeling content.  I just had my hair done and I'm feeling feminine again. 

I just can hardly wrap my mind around the fact that I don't have a kindergartener anymore.  He is growing up so fast.  It is so trite to say that they grow up too fast, but they really do.  I remember on my son's 3rd birthday I actually shed a few tears when he seemed so old; his response, "but I'll always be your sweetheart."   But now everyone is telling me to cherish the fact that he'll grow out of the desire to snuggle and cuddle and to take advantage of it while it lasts.  How can he be getting older when I feel like I am standing still?  Just yesterday I carried him, now I'm holding his hand and tomorrow he'll be running off on another adventure.  If only we could keep them small, but then if we could I would have missed out on all of the joy that has been kindergarten and preschool.  I am looking forward to tomorrow, just wondering what it will bring, and wishing that it would slow down a bit.  As long as you still wish to fly like Peter Pan whenever you throw a penny into a fountain and as long as you'll hold my had when we go shopping I gues I'll be content.  I suppose that if it weren't so much fun and I didn't have such wonderful little boys then I really wouldn't care, but boy oh, boy this is a really fun ride!

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