OK, so I know I should probably be sleeping –
but I just didn’t want to let sleep lose yet another thought.

Earlier today while I was at work, a woman came in
whose face had been severely disfigured from burns.
Several times I caught myself avoiding as much eye contact
as I normally would allow because it was distracting.
And if I’m distracted… well, you who know me know I have
to keep starting things over and over again if distracted.

When we were through and she was walking away,
I couldn’t help but admire that she didn’t allow
what many would perceive as a life-stopping tragedy
to stop her from living, laughing, and enjoying Life.
I also thought about how grateful you and I should be.
Yes, I said you and I .

Today is Monday.
Now, I’ve got be careful not to step on any toes,
because I happen to believe that Life’s greatest lessons
and examples not only come from US,
but from those around us.

So here is what I believe.
Several weeks ago now I went to the funeral of a dear friend’s dad.
I wish I had the opportunity to have known him better,
for he has truly left behind a legacy of love and respect.
What I think I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt is
that Ed would gladly and gratefully trade places with that
woman if he could – and he’d give up anything for the chance.
And something tells me that this woman would
happily trade places with my neighbor,
whose day was “ruined” when their daughter
came home with her new shoes all scuffed up.
(Can you say 5?)

Now, I don’t what it is really, but for the past few months I’ve
felt like screaming at people to take a reality check and
look at what they HAVE – and stop fussing about all of the
little petty things they are allowing to kill their happiness.
(Because it’s really starting to cut into MY happiness ! :p)

Some of you have big… BIG challenges –
and I admire you for how you are handling them.
But I’ve got to say that most people really need bigger problems – problems worth their time and energy to really dig in and overcome.
I feel fortunate in that the people I choose to surround myself with typically aren’t prone to let something like a flat tire or broken nail ruin their day.
It’s just stuff that happens along the way in this Life.
I look at someone like Martin Luther King Jr. or Abraham Lincoln, and realize that they just chose to tackle bigger problems than the majority of those around them who merely complained.
And if you really think about it, they chose to help other people with their problems – and in doing so made a huge difference in their own.

Many years ago I heard a very wealthy and respected man
say that if you want to overcome your own problems,
find someone who has a bigger problem than you do,
help them solve it, and not only does their problem go away,
but pretty soon yours doesn’t seem like such a big problem after all.

You are alive in the greatest country in the world.
What more could you ask for ?
I mean, really – stop and think about that.
Billions of people would give anything to be in your shoes.
I, and everyone reading this ought to kiss the ground
and thank God that we are alive and free
to overcome our challenges.

Thanks for letting me gripe p