My Commandment

I don't particularly like to write. In fact, I'm really not good at it. But, something happened to me on Friday night that so deeply impacted me- I knew I had to start this. Right now, this blog is for me- and only me. Will it ever be for anyone else? Maybe. But that's not why I have started it.

The picture above is from the documentary "Paper Clips." This movie is about a middle school in a small southern town that starts collecting paper clips as a part of a project designed to teach the students about the Holocaust. They try to collect 6 million paper clips to help them grasp just how many Jewish people were killed. It is a touching movie, but the picture above is what hit me the hardest. The child in the picture reminds me of my little girl.

I realized the moment that I saw this picture how thankful I am for my life's circumstances. I live in America- free from the fear of being imprisoned or killed for my religious beliefs, race, or political beliefs. My little girl won't be taken away from me and tattooed because she is different. I was allowed access to free education and I am protected by police and the military. I feel safe driving my daughter to childcare, and sleeping in my home. Do I deserve this? Any of it? No. I did nothing to ensure this. I didn't pick when or where I was born, or who my parents would be.

How can I even begin to be thankful for that? It truly overwhelms me. I cried and cried... and anyone that knows me knows I don't cry. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Let me never take this for granted.

That is why I started this. I want to write this to make sure that I keep those things in the forefront of my mind. I feel like there are two things that I am here to do in this world. One, is to love those around me as much as I can. The other: to be thankful for what I have, and help those that don't. (Like they say in those St Jude's commercials that I can hardly watch). I have two goals for this blog: to express thanks for all the blessings in my life and to discover ways that I can better love and help those around me. Let's just see how it goes...