Sobering thoughts

[Korihor]

Many of you might recall a tragedy our family experience almost 2 years ago when the little neighbor boy was hurt on our property with a life threatening injury from a metal gate falling on him. To this day, that event still haunts me. A little bit ago i saw a life flight helicopter and it brought a flood of emotions and flashbacks.

Yesterday, we were playing in the pool and our little daughter fell in. I was right there to catch her - it was really no big deal. But it made me feel a rush of "what if's". What if something happened? What if I wasn't right there? What if, what if, what if?

It's an extremely sobering thought to realize how precious life is. Especially the life of your child. Since my faith transition, I look things much differently. I value life so much more. It's heart breaking for me to hear news stories about people, especially about children, who's lives ended prematurely. It also reminds me how I don't have what I once did. I can't get on my knees and pray to an absent Father/God for comfort. I can't rely on an afterlife to see everyone again. I miss those once comforting thoughts.

I can only hug my daughter a little more today. I can be a better parent and more observant of their safety. I can love them better.

Please Please Please - watch your little ones. Enjoy them, teach them, love them. And give them a little hug for me today.

[Snowdrop]

Thank you for the post, Korihor. Recently I spent an unexpected day at the children's hospital with my daughter. The whole time We were there I was struck by how lucky I was that our visit was just one day when it could easily have been longer, that my son was able to tell me exactly what had happened, that we live so near the care center she needed. I'm grateful that I can hold my children before bed every night without tubes and sensors between up being the only reason that they are there to hug. I am also in awe of the many nurses, doctors, volunteers, and specialists who have dedicated their lives to making it so that families can hold their children close.

If anything, this experience has strengthened my faith in humanity. People will help people. Every person at that hospital wanted me to take my daughter home that night, regardless of my belief status. So tonight, I get to hold my daughter because there is goodness in the world. Because morality exists in every walk of life. Because every person knows what love is.

I'm glad that you were there when your daughter needed you and that she is so precious to you! I'm sending internet hugs from one parent to another!

[2bizE]

I think of my children in this manner very often. Life is so fragile and precious. It can disappear in an instant. I have had a few close calls over the years with death. A heavy trailer gate fell on my son, pinning him underneath. He was shaken, but not injured. He easily could have been killed. Very sobering to think about.

[SeeNoEvil]

Many of you might recall a tragedy our family experience almost 2 years ago when the little neighbor boy was hurt on our property with a life threatening injury from a metal gate falling on him. To this day, that event still haunts me. A little bit ago i saw a life flight helicopter and it brought a flood of emotions and flashbacks.

Yesterday, we were playing in the pool and our little daughter fell in. I was right there to catch her - it was really no big deal. But it made me feel a rush of "what if's". What if something happened? What if I wasn't right there? What if, what if, what if?

It's an extremely sobering thought to realize how precious life is. Especially the life of your child. Since my faith transition, I look things much differently. I value life so much more. It's heart breaking for me to hear news stories about people, especially about children, who's lives ended prematurely. It also reminds me how I don't have what I once did. I can't get on my knees and pray to an absent Father/God for comfort. I can't rely on an afterlife to see everyone again. I miss those once comforting thoughts.

I can only hug my daughter a little more today. I can be a better parent and more observant of their safety. I can love them better.

Please Please Please - watch your little ones. Enjoy them, teach them, love them. And give them a little hug for me today.

Thank you for this reminder. I am happy things turned out well for your daughter and you have that chance to renew your promises to love those close to you in your life better. The fragility of life was never so evident to me than when I held my premie grandson for the first time in the NICU. I view life through a different lens now sans the church and God. Life is clearer, has more meaning and value. I too sometimes miss the comfort believing in a God can bring. But have found life absent these things has added unmeasurable value to life and has accentuated the importance of making every moment count.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

I take comfort now in statistics instead of supernatural protections or promises. I try not to live life based on fear of low probability events, while still recognizing that bad things can happen and it's good practice to evaluate and reduce risk. Recently I was reading the 1850's journals of an ancestor who was living polygamy here in the early Utah territory. Life was pretty dangerous and fraught with risk back then in addition to being incredibly tedious and difficult. We are much much safer and healthier now for which I am very appreciative.

[MerrieMiss]

It's an extremely sobering thought to realize how precious life is. Especially the life of your child. Since my faith transition, I look things much differently. I value life so much more. It's heart breaking for me to hear news stories about people, especially about children, who's lives ended prematurely. It also reminds me how I don't have what I once did. I can't get on my knees and pray to an absent Father/God for comfort. I can't rely on an afterlife to see everyone again. I miss those once comforting thoughts.

We recently went away without the kids, and I made sure we had a big, fun breakfast together as a family, even if it meant the kitchen was not as tidy when we left. It surprised my husband, but I told him that there's always the possibility this will be the last time we're together (yeah, it could happen anytime, but I was feeling sentimental). I don't want the kids to remember mom nagging at them to eat their oatmeal. And I don't want to spend my time doing that. Realizing how precious and fragile and limited my time time with them is has made me into a much better parent.