It’s been about three months and I have been stressed out almost every single day of those last three months. It’s kind of been a whirlwind at my house with things breaking down, kids growing up, and on a whim, we signed up to be Foster Care parents (which is no easy task and ended up costing us hundreds of dollars to get our house safe enough to have a child stay with us). And I’ve kept it a secret.
As I was thinking about my secrets earlier today, I felt they were somewhat justified but unnecessary. I’ve had a lot going on and I have felt more overwhelmed than I have probably ever felt in my life … that I can remember. I tend to purposely forget almost every bad memory I have. But then after a day like today, I remember why I keep my own pains to myself. They are nothing compared to what everyone else seems to be going through.
The events of today have been startling to me. I had a lot going on and didn’t spend time on Facebook during the day, unfortunately my main source of news about anyone and everything, but I was shocked to get on it tonight before dinner and hear about the deadly attack on Paris. The idea that innocent people can be killed because of someone else’s agenda sickens me. It is hard for me to comprehend such horrific acts.
The second devastating news is on my own home front with a family in my neighborhood whose father/husband is going in for brain surgery first thing in the morning. This is a father of six children ranging from 15 years old down to just a few months old. This husband of my friend has had a rough last three days, not being able to speak and not being able to even use his hands normally. They found out he has Melanoma cancer, three masses in his brain, and bleeding. They will open up his skull, remove the tumor, and then hope the other two masses can be removed by chemotherapy.
There are many reasons why my heart aches for them right now but my most concern goes out to the wife. She has a husband to care for and six children. I am already impressed by her strength and courage that she has shown in the past and know that if anyone can handle this, she can.
Like I mentioned, I wasn’t on social media hardly at all today so when I received a text around 8 pm on a Friday night, but not just a text, my phone was continually buzzing, I was a little concerned. As almost all my friends are moms who hang out at home on a Friday night with their spouse and children, a Friday night text is usually something serious. A friend had texted a group of us to see what we could do as far as donations go for this family and every single person responded with a “Yes, I’ll do whatever I can.”
I am so impressed with these friends. This is not the first time that we have had friends dealing with cancer (it’s a scary trend in my neighborhood) and every single time, everyone rallies together to support the family. It is one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed. And better yet, the families accept and appreciate the service.
Although it has been a devastating day, it has also been an uplifting day to see my neighbors and friends rally around one family in the neighborhood, as well as many countries around the world rallying in support of France. While I continually see negative things in the news, it warms my heart to know that there are still so many good people in the world.
