“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”
i have blogged a short message about this special lady
before but thought it fitting to share about her again. she has taught me some valuable lessons since i have been on this journey with ben. unlike me who still has ben after our awful accident she lost the love of her life while he was fighting for our freedom. she has handled her own journey this far with grace, purpose, humility and to not only bring honor to her man but to her new found relationship with God!
her latest blog inspired me once again. she encourages us to treasure the time with our husbands (or wives), to create memories and get to know them. i thought to myself or how to i get to know ben after the accident? he is not a completely different person but in ways he has changed. i have had to learn new ways to love ben on top of how i already love him. some times it is easier then others but it is well worth it. like emma learned to know todd's ambitions, fears, hopes and heart i get to do the same! i thought i was doing this before but realized in it all how much i wasn't...or just not enough. there is no limit to finding out about your husband...there is always more to know! how exciting is that!?
emma did not choose this journey or the life set out before her and nor did i. both of us have had things stripped away in a way that we could have never imagined. we do have a choice in how we live out our lives from here on out. we can wallow in our sorrow and pain, we can do nothing, we can complain, we can deny God, we can give up and so many other things. don't get me wrong i have felt, grieved, been broken beyond comfort and still sometimes find myself here but i don't allow these things to control me. ben needs me, God needs me and i need me! i will continue to move forward, i will continue to be as strong as i can, i will continue to love and serve my man, and i will continue to live on and move forward!
emma has also reminded me to honor ben. emma has honored and continues to honor him even after he was taken from her. she honors him through her relationship with God, she honors him through her daughter and wanting to raise her as he would, she honors him by knowing that he served his country and he served well!
memorial day is soon upon us and i encourage you all to take a moment to reflect on all those who have given their lives for our freedom. not only remember those who have given their lives but those people in their lives, like emma, who are left behind questioning, lonely, dreaming, moving on, and so many more things that life brings them. don't just be grateful on memorial day but every time you see a soldier, thamk them, shake their hand, honor them...it is the least we can do!
pray for emmas as this was her status on fb..."hoping for peace this week: tuesday would have been todd and i's 3 year anniversary, kiley will also turn 21 months that day, and saturday a year ago was the last day todd walked on american soil and the last time we ever held him. oh how different our lives were then. thank you todd for being my hero and the best daddy to our beautiful daughter!"
you can find her blog HERE
and todd's website HERE
“nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
“life is full of beauty. notice it. notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. smell the rain, and feel the wind. live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” ashley smith
3 comments:
It is awful at times when we (myself) take for granted what we don't truly realize we have. I know I have a wonderful husband but do I actually KNOW that I do? I can't imagine my life without him or imagine life differently with him. I am so grateful for the blessings God has given me and the opportunity I have in front of me to honor and cherish every moment I have with not only my husband but all of my loved ones. I feel so selfish right now that I worry about petty things in life or feeling like my world is falling a part over things that really don't matter.
I want to make every moment count and everyday as special as I can because tomorrow is not for sure. Reading this tonight makes me want to be a better person. Like the other commenters on your page, I too got really choked up over this and it has touched my heart. Thank you so much for opening my eyes to what really matters in life, you are only giving me the opportunity to change the way I look at each day. I really appreciate that gift and appreciate you sharing so honestly your feelings.
Thank you.
Fallon
My heart goes out to her. It refocuses my life and I completely gave thanks to God this morning for my situation because I easily forget how much more difficult others have it. Thanks for sharing her story with us and allowing me the opportunity to put my life back in perspective.
Katie, I can always count on you to put things in perspective for me! Just when I get frustrated, angry, upset about what I am going through, you remind me that the world is so much bigger and there are so many others out there who would trade thier problems in life for mine. Thank you. not just for that reminder but for how you serve your husband each day. You are a not just a reminder, but an example to us all!! GT and I love you both, and soon when we are together again, I'd love to skype and have ben and gt be able to say hi face to face!!!
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