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I am not a religious person by no means. However, I do have faith and believe in God in my own little way. I would consider myself more ‘spiritual’ than anything else. I believe in Karma and also that things happen
for a reason. I believe, for the most part, everybody is in control of their own
destiny. However, things do happen to us that are out of our control. And then
the question is ‘how do we deal with those challenges?’. And this again are
choices that we make. We can let it crush us, destroy us, take the best of us.
Or, we can look it straight in the eye and deal with it, let it make us
stronger, and even let it change us for the better.

A few years ago my husband and I were faced with a load of extreme challenges. Things I consider ‘out of our control’ challenges. Friends and family who witnessed what was happening to us, over a time span of three
years, couldn’t believe it. “How could so much crap happen to anybody?!” It was
unbelievable. I got to a point where I was afraid to wake up in the morning. I
am a very strong person, but that particular time sent me to my knees praying.
I prayed for God to stop the insanity. I prayed for help. I prayed to get my
old life back.

After almost exactly three years it was all over. I realized we had made it through the storm!! All of a sudden I realized what this was all about. We had lost almost everything. We had gone through some very traumatic
experiences – have you ever seen your house burn down in front of your very
eyes?? If so, you know what I am talking about. And here I was at the airport with
a four year old on each hand ready to leave it all behind and start over -
while my husband was driving a truck cross-country with whatever we had left. I
felt ‘naked’. I felt I had been stripped of all the unimportant things in life
– the stuff, the materialistic things, … etc. – and all that was left was the
most important things in my life: my kids, our health, and my family!! All of
this was left unharmed and right there. I broke down in tears in the middle of
the airport and held my two little ones for a very long time. I had learned my
lesson. My prayers had been answered, but in a way very differently than I had
expected it. I had learned to appreciate what was really important in life!!

Today, I am not bitter about what happened. I don’t cry after all that we have lost. I don’t miss it!! I look at it as a blessing! How many people live their lives missing out on the most important things in life??
Not me!! I will never forget what it has taught me and I will appreciate and treasure
my ‘little blessings’ for the rest of my life!!

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