..but I get up again. The other day I was on a great clip with my career, feeling really good and I got a phone call that one of my friends was in the hospital and they didn't know if he was going to make it through the day.

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I have had bad news before but something about that phone call, that idea that I could get another one telling me either he's gonna live or he's gonna die.

I was so uncomfortable the entire day. I was prickly, if you will.

It's easy for me to go on every day spouting my thoughts and beliefs about hope, but it’s times like these where faith is tempted.

I always think to myself when I am in pain, don't make anything worse.

Whether or not the pain is inflicted by a person or an event, the pain is still the same.

Being able to tolerate it without taking it out on someone else is the test that I always give myself.

My friend turned the corner and is going to be OK.

That's the phone call I got instead of the other one.

I am just starting to get my bearings back today and it's almost a week since I got the news.

Okay you wanna hear something CRAZY? An earthquake just hit the East Coast as I'm writing about getting knocked down.

My book shelves were shaking, I was on the phone with my friend and I felt the apartment shake then a few minutes later I saw the book shelves shaking.

So I ran down the stairs outside and the people there didn't feel anything.

Hmm…

Just goes to show you: what affects one person might not affect another person.

That being said I am affected by everything all the time. I'm sitting here scared right now and my first thought is, don't make anything worse.

And as for me — as for my friend — we are hopeful because as long as there is breath there is hope.

We get knocked down, but we get up again — even though it might take a few days to regroup.

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