(one of my favorites originally posted on an older blog of mine a few years back)

Sometimes, it takes a perfect storm, so to speak, to slap you in the face with answers you have been seeking for quite some time.  The process began when my free falling body, loaded with heavy bags, forcefully met the ground beneath my feet after a failed attempt to break the fall with my hands.   Breaking the fall broke the hand.  My worst fears were confirmed in the local ER and reinforced a few days later when I left the orthopedic office sporting a new cast immobilizing my left hand.  Life with a hand in a cast for 4+ weeks curtails the majority of the ambitious plans and activities on a crowded calendar, freeing up a LOT of time to just sit and THINK. I was forced into a long overdue period of reflection about life and my passions.  The answers I had been seeking were always right there in front of me — waving, shouting, jumping up and down to draw my attention.  I just didn’t see them and my arms were a tad too short to reach out and grab them.

Around the same time, I heard a new Josh Groban song (Granted) about making the most of life and never taking a moment for granted.  I played it over and over again, with lyrics poking and prodding me into realizing I needed to wake up to the wise use of time and the pursuit of passions.  The song also immediately reminded me of a young family friend named Matt who had been battling brain cancer for ten years and was rapidly losing his latest battle.  A few weeks later, sitting in a church pew awaiting the start of a funeral for a 30 year old, I had to ask our Creator “WHY? He was much too young and fought so valiantly.  He brought so much living to life.”

However, in spite of the sadness, the mass truly turned into a celebration of Matt’s life and the joy and legacy he gave to his family and friends.  Matt did NOT teach us how to die.  Rather, he taught us how to live while dying.  And live he did!  He probably crammed more living into his life from the age of 20 to 30 than most of us do in a much longer lifetime — doing it with enthusiasm, joy, generosity, gratitude and grace.  He worked as long as he could.  He embarked on family trips and adventures.  He got married.  He started a blog.  While honestly confronting the realities of his diagnosis, he governed his life with determined eternal optimism and hope.  “Keep On Steppin’ Up”  became his motto.  I remember attending a fundraiser for him at our church a few years back — not a sad affair by any means, but, rather, an event that resonated with joy, laughter and comraderie with a truly gracious and genuinely grateful Matt circulating to EVERY single table to converse and thank for attending … all the while beaming with his trademark Matt smile.  Throughout his illness, he stayed in tune with his passions and inner zest for life.

Gradually, during my months of downtime, reflection opened doors I hadn’t noticed before and, like an overloaded closet, ideas and decisions tumbled out. So a broken hand, combined with the inspiration of a song and a young man’s powerful lesson on living, motivated me to get back in step walking with my soul, in tune with my passions and stirring up my creative juices.  

Peace,
Kathy Marie