Yep, I'm a slacker!

Wow, it's been a really long time since I've blogged. In my defense, life has been very busy and complicated for the last few months. As you probably all know, Danny lost his job officially in the middle of May and his Dad passed away very suddenly on July 6th. He had a pulmonary embolism following surgery. Danny and his dad were as close as a father and son can be....and thus his grieving has only just begun. Sadly, the death of a loved one forces us to take a close look at our own lives and the relationships that we have. At the funeral, Danny said that he and his mother would always look back on their lives with Frank and know that they had no regrets. Their relationships with Frank were sound...he always knew how much they loved him. Danny survives this loss without regrets...how many of the rest of us can say that? There is a lot to learn from tragedies. Some lessons are learned immediately, and others make sense later. For us, we are now grateful for the lost job. Without it, Danny wouldn't have to the time or flexibility to spend with his mother during this horrible time. Without the time to grieve, heal, and help each other, I know that Danny would look back and feel a sense of regret.

Money is important, but ultimately not that important. This struggle has shown us the importance of spending time with each other, our children, and our families. I hope that all of you have this understanding without suffering a loss. My mother sent me a Christmas card and in it she wrote, "You come to this Christmas with many blessings. You have the love of each other, the love of your wonderful children, your families, and your friends." It took me nearly 8 months to read that card and find true meaning instead of pretty words. Recognize what you have!