Celebrate the Lives of Others

I attended a NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting last night. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!

My son received his 1 year chip and it is a huge deal. He has worked long and hard and has had so many bumps along his path to sobriety...but he is 1 year clean and that's all that really matters today.

My daughter Aja decided at we should all attend his meeting to show our support for this precious boy. There were 6 of us from our family who attended. I will never forget what I experienced last night.

The room was packed with addicts. There were people from all walks of life, ethnic backgrounds and ages. As we entered the room, we were immediately greeted by a young man who introduced himself and engulfed me in a heartfelt hug. From the moment I set foot in that crowded room, I felt nothing but love.

It was beautiful. Honesty abounded. There was no judgment. There were tears and there was joy. I listened with my heart as these sweet friends of my son expressed their heartfelt love for him. How proud they are of him. How he has inspired them. How he lifts them and, in some cases, how he has saved their lives. It touched me deeper than I ever could have imagined.

As mothers, we KNOW our children. I may not know the everyday goings on in my adult children's lives, but I know who they are. I know their strengths and I know their weaknesses...but so do these wonderful, nonjudgmental friends of my son.

The lights were then turned off and for a few moments, it was silent. Then, one-by-one, people began to share. "Hi, I'm ___ and I'm an addict". It was kind of sacred as these precious souls started speaking from their hearts. They all spoke of their love for Ty, offering him sincere and heartfelt congratulations. One gal said that she was so happy for him hitting this mark. And then she went on to say something to the effect of, "Where else do we celebrate the lives of others?"

That hit me!

The more you praise and celebrate life, the more there is in life to celebrate!

It seems like our world is so quick to judge. We can so easily get caught up in our own lives that we forget to celebrate the lives of those around us...everyone of these addicts/recovering addicts has a valued life! They have something precious to offer this world! Because they have made some bad choices doesn't make them bad people or any less valuable.

Do I fall prey to this?? I commit, on this blog, this day, to make a conscious effort to "Celebrate the Lives of Others..."

So to my son, I say this: Today I celebrate your life...and I will celebrate your life everyday! I respect and admire you more than you will ever know. Your ability to unconditionally love without judgments, is rare and precious. You truly celebrate life and the lives of those around you? I have learned so much from your journey and I can only hope and pray that I can be like you one day. Thank you for letting me be your mother and for putting up with all of my fears and judgments...

The Joy Dare

A couple of months ago, my hubs and I were visiting our Bishop and his family. He and his wife have 6 children ranging in age from 19-7 and they are ALL wonderful, amazing young human beings. As we were seated in their Family Room surrounded by the sweet members of this family (these kids are ridiculously crazy ove Brad), I noticed large sheets of paper taped around the room. Upon closer look, I noticed that these huge sheets were lists of everything that this sweet family was thankful for.

What really touched me was that NOTHING was off limits! These lists contained everything from, The Savior, The Gospel and Individual family member names to Bras, Satellite Dishes, Diet Coke and Tampons!! We giggled, but I was touched that these young people took the time to write down ALL that they were grateful for. My hubs and I even made the list!

I've thought about this. The spirit in their home was peaceful, loving and kind. Now, I know that the family dynamic is often intense and that there are definite moments of discord, but in this home, that evening, it was the best place we could be.

This morning, as I was perusing some of my favorite blogs, I ran across a beautiful posting similar to the "List Making" in our friends home. It was here and the title is "Taking the Joy Dare".

I realized, as I read that post, that my heart was in need of healing. Nothing serious, just with all of the life changes in such a short amount of time, I realized that I am always in need of drawing closer to the Lord and maybe by becoming cognizant of my "gifts", just maybe my heart can begin to heal.

So I downloaded this app on my iPhone and on my iPad.

I commit to you all that I will report in on this humble, meager little blog, of my progress of appreciating and acknowledging my gifts. I'm even going to link up with Ann Voskamp at " A Holy Experience"

Here's my Start:

1. My Heavenly Father and Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2. My sweet family.
3. An amazing, loving husband.
4. A healthy, fulfilling marriage.
5. A warm and comfortable home.
6. My microwave (mine broke and I've lived one week without one...ugh)
7. My husband's job.
8. My job.
9. Great parents.
10. A very comfortable and warm bed.
11. My iPad and iPhone.
12. Fabulous shoes.
13. My 2 dogs.
14. Holiday celebrations.
15. Skilled doctors.
16. Skilled Physical Therapists.
17. Clocks.
18. Cameras.
19. Photographs.
20. My beautiful town & community.
21. Great friends.
22. My BFF.
23. Shining Sun.
24. Hugs & Kisses.
25. Hot running water.
26. Indoor heat.
27. The most precious grandchildren a woman could ever ask for!!
28. My beautiful mother who is the rock of our family .
29. Tender Mercies of the Lord.
30. Challenges and trials that shape me into a better person.

That was much easier than I expected...I hope to travel on this journey with Joy. Feel free to join me. I challenge all my readers to take "The Joy Dare"...after all, what have you got to lose?