A Heavy Heart

I woke up Friday morning and checked my phone for any Facebook or Twitter notifications like I always do.  While checking Twitter, I read from many people I follow, that there was a shooting in Aurora, Colorado over night at the midnight premier of the new Batman movie.  It was a massacre!  As of now the news has reported 12 people killed and 58 people injured.  I've read headlines on CNN and watched some coverage on The Today Show.  After hearing about this story my heart immediately became heavy.  "Another shooting...", I thought in my head.

There were children as young as 3 months old injured in that movie theater.  I hated turning on the television and watching all the reporters interview witnesses and people screaming and crying.  It's unimaginable how those people must have felt.  I have family that live in Aurora and thankfully, although they are big Batman fans, they did not choose to go see the midnight showing of that movie.  But many other families are less fortunate as mine.  My heart and prayers are with them.

The killer "The Joker" at this time has not shed any light on his motives for doing such a brutal and terrible thing.  I just don't understand...no one does.  I just know that I held my daughter and my husband extra tight that day.  
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Friday afternoon we took Annaliese to my mother's house because Justin and I were going out of town for the night to our two good friend's wedding.  We dropped Annaliese off, hugged and kissed her goodbye and went on our way.  We wanted to stop to get something to eat before hitting the road for a 3 hour drive, so we grabbed some burgers and sat in the parking lot and ate.  While we were eating, I looked over and about 50 yards from us, there was a woman holding a baby and asking for money.  She had no shoes on her feet, a small bag by her side and a baby boy, dressed in blue pjs who couldn't be more than 3 months old in her arms.  It was a cooler and rainy summer day and I couldn't help but feel bad for this woman and her baby.  To my surprise, many people were handing her money in her paper cup.  I know that there are good people out there, but that's just not something you see every day.

We finished eating and I still had the need to do something for this woman and her baby.  We didn't have much time, so we couldn't offer her a ride, but I at least wanted to give her some money and offer to call someone for her.  We stopped at a near by bank to get some money we needed for our trip and an extra $20 to give to her.  We pulled up next to her and I got out of the car, walked up to her and with a thick Spanish accent and broken English she did the best she could to explain that she was homeless and she needed food for her baby.  I placed the crisp $20 bill in her cup next to the $1 bills and spare change that others had donated and gave her and that baby a hug.  As soon as she saw the amount that I gave, she got a huge smile on her face and with appreciative teary eyes she said "Gracias, gracias, thank you so much".  I felt like from a mother to a mother, we had a moment.

As I turned to walk back to the car, I immediately started to cry.  I walked away thinking "I just got a pedicure yesterday for this wedding, I am getting into our new Ford Explorer to drive to a friend's wedding and stay overnight in a beach resort...and this woman can't afford to feed her baby."  In that very moment a huge emotion of thankfulness came over me.  I was again thanking God for everything He has given me.  I was so thankful that my husband and I are able to care for our child, and clothe her and feed her.  I was thankful for my family because I know that if things ever got really bad, I know I would have a place to go to still put a roof over our head and have food to eat.

I was so glad we were able to give her some money so she could give that baby something to eat.  I'm sure I will never see that woman again, even though we live in a fairly small town.  Wherever she is and whatever she's doing, I hope that she realizes that she touched my life just as I hope I touched hers.

It's truly amazing...Life.  No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse.  In big or small ways, I'm reminded every day to be thankful for every day.  Whether it be seeing a horrible story on the morning news or a small donation to a woman and child in need, I know that I am blessed.  It's an incredible feeling that I wish more people would embrace sometimes.  Life is good.



Your Friendly Mama,