I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what defines who I am. Sometimes I’m unhappy with my self-esteem, my choices, or whatever else I can think to be unhappy about. But really, I have a good life, a growing career as a writer, fabulous friends, and a wonderful family. I even have a really nice house and a sweet car. So what I do I have to bitch about? Nothing.
On the radio last Thursday I heard the story of this seventeen year old girl named Rebecca who had been fighting leukemia for four years. She was the “spokesperson” when the radio station did their annual Duke Children’s Hospital fund-raising marathon. She was one of those teenagers that was always chipper and sweet, yet she was dying. Rebecca had to stop going to school because of her health, but she’d earned enough credits to graduate. The school went to her house Friday afternoon and had a special graduation ceremony just for her.
Friday night, Rebecca died.
That girl showed more courage that ten people put together. That’s what defined her. Courage and the will to enjoy the life she’d been given for as long as she had it.
It’s humbling and made me step back and re-evaluate what I was doing with my life. I’d like to think I live by the “Carpe Diem” philosophy and make each day count. However, that’s not always true. Wallowing in self-pity over something that I can change is not the way to live. Seize the day and make it your own. Each day is truly a gift and we need to treat it as such.
So I’m going to take a moment to shout out to my friends, my family, and anyone else that popped by for a read. I wish you a good journey and the joy of life. Pay it forward, y’all.
thanks for the reminder and gentle shove to live each day to the fullest.
by RobynL February 28th, 2007 at 5:57 pm