The End of a Journey

Have you ever found yourself complaining about things that really don't matter? I mean sure, at the time, I suppose they seem significant, but you look back on it afterwards and say to yourself, "Why did I make a big deal about that?" You know the stuff I am talking about: The house being messy, the price of gas, the hard day at work, yada yada yada. We all do it. Just human nature I suppose. More often than we ever should or need to. And it seems the only real time we ever re-evaluate what is truly important is after a tragedy of some sort.

The most recent example being the Virginia Tech shootings. Made you sit back and count your blessings, didn't it? Made you sit back and say, "What the hell am I complaining about?" Made you sit back and look at your friends and family and remember how much you really love them. If not all of the above, I am sure a few similar thoughts went through your head.

Why are we this way? Why do we only cherish what we have when something bad comes along and tries to take it away? Others misfortunes often remind us that it could very easily be us the next time around. If Joe Blow's luck ran out, then ours surely could at any time, right?

I guess these are all rhetorical questions, because I surely do not have the answers. I just know that it is true. It happened to me today. A young boy named Loren died today. I didn't know him. It was a boy my wife learned about through a support site for Infantile Spasms. She sent me an email at work today with the link to his website and I read the most recent entry. It is called "This journey has ended". I read it and my heart sank. So, there I sat wondering what on earth I could complain about, that could match this. Needless to say, nothing could compare.

This child lost his life. These parents lost their son. Can you imagine that?? I can't. The thought of it makes my heart ache. How do you go on? I am not going to insult these parents by trying to imagine I know how they feel. But, it did make me imagine, just for a brief moment, what my life would be like without my own son. I literally instantly got a lump in my throat. I truly can not fathom life without him. It would truly be unbearable.

So, will I continue to complain about less relevant issues? I have no doubt that I will. And the next tragedy, be it someone else's or my own, will bring it all back again. Pretty sad, but unfortunately true.

I love you beyond measure Daniel John-Maxwell Spranger. Please don't ever leave me.

God Bless You, Loren. All of our thoughts and prayers to you and your family.