live | get some perspective

I heard some terrible news the other day - someone I met when I was on the holiday of a lifetime in Florida had been in a very bad motorbike accident, and was in intensive care in hospital.  Everyone was worried about him - he had broken a lot of bones, and was in a very bad way.

I didn't know him very well - I had only met him once or twice when I spent a month living with my cousin.  But what I did know was that he was a really nice guy, and he'd made me feel welcome at a party where I was a complete stranger.  He would have had every reason to completely ignore me, or just refuse to let me into his house!  I also knew he was a good friend to my cousin.

I suppose he belonged to my memories of my Florida trip.  When I was in Florida, I felt really good.  It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what made me feel that way - of course, anyone would feel good if they spent a month basking in the August sun, but I think it was something more internal.  Whilst my body was soaking up the sun, my mind was slowly starting an (ongoing!) process of accepting who I am and what I want from my life.  Looking back on that month of exploration and adventure, I suppose I never appreciated that anything could go wrong there.  As I remembered feeling good, so would all those belonging to those memories feel good, forever.  So, as I heard the news,  I felt really odd, it was all so incongruous.  Nothing like that should happen to someone like him.  He was too... good.  He belonged to the good world.

Love your life, today!

Since I heard the news, I have been thinking about him, and his family, and my cousin, a lot.  Wishing and hoping and sending lots of love across the ocean to give them all the courage they need to come out on the other side, and be stronger.  His condition is improving, but he's not out of the war zone yet.

Let me take this moment to ask you all to send all your love to him.  Even if you don't know him, I believe love is a powerful thing.  It'll get there.

I was thinking about this, and I think what I'm learning here, and what I wanted to share with you all is that this has given me a huge whack over the head.  It's like this guy I met when I was on holiday is reaching across the Atlantic, grabbing hold of my shoulders, giving them a brisk shake and yelling at me: 'Get some perspective, girl!'  OK! I get it!

Sometimes we can all feel like we are living in a little bubble.  There are lots of stresses - too much work, not enough time to exercise, not enough time to do what you want to do, to make the most of your dreams, or even to spend time dreaming!  When something like this happens, it forces you to realise that worrying about those small things that are preventing you from doing what you want is SO NOT WORTH IT.  You are greater than the work, than the university professors giving you headaches, than the parents yelling at you, than the boyfriend troubles, than the worries that you're not good enough, not thin enough, (or not curvy enough, as the case may be), not perfect enough.  We're under a duty now, to my cousin's friend lying in hospital right now, to live like tomorrow might not happen.  Let's make the most of today.  To do that, you've got to stop the relentless worries in your mind.  None of them matter.  What matters is that you are happy, and that you are giving love to those you care about.  Get some perspective!

Love, like you haven't got another day to love.  Do it now.  Do it for Adam.