resilient

Realization:

I am addicted to the reassurance that we are resilient.

(How many more "re"-words can I fit into one sentence?)

There are quite a few blogs that I try to read every day--most of these are all about pretty things and random thoughts and photos that make me smile.

But there are three, in particular, that are different:

Matt Logelin

Two years ago, on this very day, Matt lost his wife, Liz--just 24 hours after she delivered their daughter, Maddy. Since that day, Matt has been writing--in such a brutally, beautifully honest way--about the joys and challenges he faces on a daily basis as he raises his daughter and grieves the loss of his wife.

Stephanie Nielson

After surviving a plane crash and suffering from severe burns all over her body, Stephanie bravely continues to write about her life and the struggles she now faces as a mother of four. She is beautiful and inspiring.

Kelle Hampton

In January of this year, Kelle gave birth to her second daughter, Nella, a healthy, beautiful baby girl who happens to have down syndrome--which came as a shock to Kelle and her family on Nella's birthday. On her blog, Kelle has also written quite candidly about her initial thoughts as her daughter first looked into her eyes, as well as the transformation that has taken place in her own heart since that moment.

I am so thankful that these three people have so willingly shared their stories with me.

In a way, they have unknowingly become my mentors in the way of resiliency.

They have taught me . . .

that I have nothing to fear;

that life may throw some serious curveballs at me, but I can/will survive;

that life is meant to be lived and celebrated;

that I should treasure my friends and family because I have no idea when they could be taken from me;

that faith is powerful;

that we all experience grief, loss, and disappointment to different degrees--and some days, it's okay to not pull yourself up by your bootstraps;

and that people respect honesty more than a facade of bravery.