Boogers on the Wall

My father in law with my baby Luca.

Life is what happens when you are waiting for something else to happen.

I have thought a lot about life this past week. My Life. The life of others. The life I want to live. The life I actually am living.

More specifically, I have thought about the life of my father-in-law. Right now he lies in a hospital in southern California where he is fighting to piece back his abilities after suffering a ruptured aortic valve and a couple of major strokes.

He is strong and he is pulling through, but his entire world changed in the blink of an eye. I am so proud of his progress and can’t wait until we can bring him back to Utah.

But ever since I got the 3 a.m. phone call last Wednesday night saying that he was in the emergency room and his odds of survival were slim, I’ve been thinking about things.

Life can change in an instant.

I learned that three years ago when we buried our baby Luca. But I have been reminded about that yet again.

It makes me wonder: Why do I do what I do? What is it all for? Will it all be worth it in the end?

It makes me want to cherish every moment and live in the now.

I’m not saying I don’t believe in dreaming big and setting goals, but I do believe that wishing for the next best thing and wondering when life will be “better” makes this life miserable. It could leave each and every one of us someday with empty, “we were going tos” and “we haven’t had a chance tos.”

Life is about the little things. Don’t wait for the big things to happen while life passes you by.

Hug your babies and kiss your parents. Eat big bowls of ice cream and salty French fries. Leave dirty dishes in the sink and watch Disney movies with your kids.

Say, “I Love You.” Say your prayers. Pay off your credit cards. Take family photos twice a year and send out Christmas cards. Sing in the shower and dance in the car. And set traps for leprechauns each spring.

Because little things like that will someday add up to be everything.