Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Funny Thing About Life...Well Maybe Not So Funny...

OK, in the midst of a not so funny (ha-ha!) world, I have managed over time to find some humor in it all. Most recently in this... I took my daughter for her checkup a little while back and the doctor asked if she was talking. I said "Uh-huh!" Doctor: "Is she putting two words together?" ME: "UH-huh!" Doctor: "Is she putting three words together?", ME: "Uh-huh!". Doctor: "She is talking in full sentences?" as if in disbelief (she doesn't speak in front of him, only cries, HYSTERICALLY!), and I again I reply "Uh-huh!" He looked surprised, but in a non-believer way. So, she goes for her two year checkup, he comes out into the waiting room to get a parent who has brought their older child in, and sees my daughter talking away to another child, older than her, having a full fledged conversation, hand motions and all. We go back to see him, and he apologizes for not believing me when I said she could talk. I just smiled. I had a feeling he didn't, but who really cares, right. I know she can talk, and many times a day wish she would stop (LOL!), so who really cares. This brings me to the funny (not funny as in ha-ha!, but funny as in huh?) things I am finding...

Why do we place so much importance on what other people think or feel about us? Today I got an "email" from someone asking why it is that she can't seem to make and keep friends, or make relationships in general work when they are the things she wants the most in life. Yes, an email! Rather personal question for a mass email (at least 10 people on this list). I wanted to reach out to her, even though I myself have mixed feelings about her. My first instinct was to address it honestly, but given this person's history, I called my husband and asked him for guidance :-) (I often stick my foot in my mouth). He said, "tell her to talk to me", he is a lot more tactful at times like these. My counseling side screams out for honesty! Sometimes in real life I have to surpress that side of me :-) or it gets me in trouble.

Here's my problem these days, I don't care about insignificant things like this anymore. I can't! I want to, but I can't! This is why: that cousin that I wrote about last month, she had her first shot at Chemo, and they learned she was allergic to Taxol, the drug used in this particular type of treatment. They pumped her up with steroids a week later and tried again. She did ok for the first few days, and then developed a high fever, only to find out that she now has a Staph infection, MRSA, probably the worst Staph as it is immune to almost every antibiotic. They can not continue with the chemo until she gets rid of this infection, if she gets rid of it! I talked to my aunt, who is obviously distressed, and she begins to cry as she describes her daughter asking her "Why is this happening to me?" Her reply, "I don't know." Who does?

Then we learn that the niece of a very dear friend of ours was in a car accident this past weekend, and her friend who was in the passenger side was killed on contact. His niece is alive, and considering the accident, she is very lucky to be, but imagine the guilt that child (only 17) will carry around for the rest of her life. No amount of counseling will erase that.

So you see, I am having a hard time being concerned about "everything else" these days. I don't mean to sound callous and certainly don't mean to offend (see I even feel the need to apologize for what I write). But, these "life altering events" or "teachable moments" as I like to refer to them are putting things into perspective for me. Focus on what's important in life, and please STOP WORRYING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE THINKS ABOUT YOU; it gives them way too much POWER! Live your life for you and ENJOY it!

Nuff said!

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