Here is a poem that has comforted me in these past couple of months. Should any of you be in a similar situation (and I certainly hope you're not), then maybe this poem can give you some comfort and peace of heart as well.
I am safely home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in Heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmly
Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! But Jesus' love illuminated
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus' arm to lean on,
Could I have one more doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth's shadows
Pray to trust our Father's will.
There is still work waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth--
You shall rest in Jesus' land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy of seeing you come!
Safely home....
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
What does God think about suicide?
Only God knows the direct answer to this, really. But I found this video and it struck my interest.
Friday, September 2, 2011
The good and the bad.
Yesterday marked four months since Tyler's death. I am worried that this month will be particularly difficult for myself as well as all of Tyler's loved ones, because this is also the month of his birth. Yesterday was a really horrible day. These four months have seemed to fly by and drag on all at once. I feel like my head and my heart are filled beyond capacity. There's just so much I want to talk to him about. There are stories I want to tell, music to share, and emotions to be discussed. All the while I feel like I've been lost for four months, like I've been wandering aimlessly in a cold, dark plain with no path or signs to follow. And I find that I keep looking for him. I guess my heart still does not want to believe that he is gone and misleads me to think that he is just going to reappear and make everything okay again.
But in the midst of all of this, there are some really good things that I should let you know about. First, we have two new runners on Team Tyler: Lane from Springdale Chick-fil-A, and Brandon from Cincinnati Christian University. I am so excited to raise suicide prevention / love awareness with them! Thank you, Lane and Branden! :) Also, we will be having a spirit night at Western Hills Chick-fil-A to raise funds for marathon registration and shirts. A spirit night is where customers can turn in a little flyer to the cashier, and then 10% of their purchase goes to the cause. On top of that, Urban Active in Western Hills is going to donate six or seven free one-month memberships that will be auctioned, and all of the proceeds will go to Team Tyler. I am so grateful and overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of both businesses! It is wonderful to see good in people during such dark times. And lastly, the marathon training is going well. I'm back to a healthy weight, and now I can actually enjoy running....... sometimes. ;)
There is good and there is bad, but we all have to keep on keeping on somehow. Find hope in something, love others unconditionally, and remember that the heart of life is good. That's all I have to say for now.
But in the midst of all of this, there are some really good things that I should let you know about. First, we have two new runners on Team Tyler: Lane from Springdale Chick-fil-A, and Brandon from Cincinnati Christian University. I am so excited to raise suicide prevention / love awareness with them! Thank you, Lane and Branden! :) Also, we will be having a spirit night at Western Hills Chick-fil-A to raise funds for marathon registration and shirts. A spirit night is where customers can turn in a little flyer to the cashier, and then 10% of their purchase goes to the cause. On top of that, Urban Active in Western Hills is going to donate six or seven free one-month memberships that will be auctioned, and all of the proceeds will go to Team Tyler. I am so grateful and overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of both businesses! It is wonderful to see good in people during such dark times. And lastly, the marathon training is going well. I'm back to a healthy weight, and now I can actually enjoy running....... sometimes. ;)
There is good and there is bad, but we all have to keep on keeping on somehow. Find hope in something, love others unconditionally, and remember that the heart of life is good. That's all I have to say for now.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Not Alone.
Research has shown that when we are born, we are physically, chemically, and biologically designed to desire relationships with others. Some people are talkative and are real social butterflies, while others might be a little more quiet or perhaps even shy. But humans are designed to desire interaction and relationships with other humans. And even if some people enjoy their privacy, their own space, and time to themselves, I honestly do believe that, unless there is an imbalance somewhere, no one wants to be alone. People can only go for so long without interaction before they become sad, discouraged, or in severe situations, go absolutely crazy. People just need to be around other people. And beyond that, people desire to have others in their lives who truly understand them. When people seek advice, for example, they tend to be drawn to ask others who have had some kind of experience with what they are dealing with. If not, then there is typically a pretty good amount of trust in the relationship already to make up for it. Connections are important, and people do not like to feel alone.
The truth is that we never are truly alone. No matter where we are - in the middle of a crowded room or isolated by ourselves - we have a God who loves us and longs to have a connection with us, just like we long to have connections with others. (Wow, He really did make us in His image!) Joshua 1:9 says, "For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." But sometimes we need someone who is tangible; someone we can hear with our ears, see with our eyes, and touch with our skin. When we are deprived of this, or maybe when we cannot find anyone who can truly relate to us, we feel alone.
Let me tell you... you are not alone. And understanding the importance of speaking this truth to your loved ones is, well... important! I am going to share some things about myself to explain this further. Please bear with me.
I do not feel safe often. I'm not afraid of anything, really. I just do not feel safe. I don't know what happened, but sometime in middle school or high school, I just put up my guard and never learned how to take it back down. This is particularly difficult for girls, and even more so for girls who come from broken homes or who do not have a positive relationship with their father or brothers. I do not have any brothers, and though my family is broken, I still have a relationship with my dad, so I honestly don't know why I struggle with this. But I do know one thing: Tyler made me feel safe...... always. Especially in this last year or so as our "connection" really blossomed. I have told this story before, but it relates. A little more than one year ago I told Tyler where I would be attending college. He then said this:
"I'm just two streets away if you ever need me."
That statement alone made me feel safer than I had felt in a long time. And that feeling did not fade easily. And if I was ever stressed or overwhelmed, Tyler would always say the same thing: "I'm close." Those two words held so much significance for me, and to be honest, I feel like they could more often if only we spoke them more often. Sometimes all we need is reassurance that someone we love is close by. I never needed much more than that from Tyler. His simple message was enough to put my heart at ease and make me feel secure again. Even though he was not physically with me, he reminded me that I was not alone, and I honestly feel that we should offer this simple reminder to our loved ones more often (if we mean it, of course). Just making yourself available could mean the world to someone. It meant the world to me.
I have been listening to this song a lot lately. It is called Not Alone and it is by the band RED.
"Slowly fading away
You're lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold?
Looking for a distant light
Someone who could save a life
Living in fear that no one will hear your cry
Can you save me now?
I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you
I will catch you when you feel like letting go
'Cause you're not... you're not alone
Your heart is full of broken dreams
Just a fading memory
Everything's gone but the pain carries on
Lost in the rain again
When will it ever end?
The arms of relief seem so out of reach
But I, I am here
I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you
I will catch you when you feel like letting go
'Cause you're not... you're not alone
I will be your hope when you feel like it's over
I will pick you up when your whole world shatters
And when you're finally in my arms
Look up and see that love has a face!
I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you
I will catch you when you feel like letting go
'Cause you're not... you're not alone
And I will be your hope
I will pick you up
And I will be your hope
And I will be your hope
Slowly fading away
You're lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold?"
I feel like this song reflects a lot of the things Tyler said to me. He often reminded me that I was not alone, that he was close by.... and he even promised me that he would never leave me. It hurts now to think back and remember that promise because, well, he's gone. But everything he said still means the whole world to me. The bridge of this song reminds me of the last few conversations Tyler and I ever had, but the line that gets me the most is, "And I will pick you up when your whole world shatters." Tyler basically made that same promise to me, but neither of us knew that both of our worlds were about to do just that. Shatter. I never imagined that Tyler would be the one to shatter mine after he did so much to piece it together.
But even now when I look back on those simple reminders, my heart feels glad, even in the midst of the hurt. All of this to say that it is important to make ourselves available to others, and to remind each other that we are not alone. We are all doing this crazy thing called life..... but we need to learn to do it together.
Remember this: you are not alone. And if you feel like you are, please know that you are not alone in that either. Even though I have recently moved back to school and am almost constantly surrounded by loved ones and peers... I have never felt more alone in my entire life.
You are not alone.
The truth is that we never are truly alone. No matter where we are - in the middle of a crowded room or isolated by ourselves - we have a God who loves us and longs to have a connection with us, just like we long to have connections with others. (Wow, He really did make us in His image!) Joshua 1:9 says, "For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." But sometimes we need someone who is tangible; someone we can hear with our ears, see with our eyes, and touch with our skin. When we are deprived of this, or maybe when we cannot find anyone who can truly relate to us, we feel alone.
Let me tell you... you are not alone. And understanding the importance of speaking this truth to your loved ones is, well... important! I am going to share some things about myself to explain this further. Please bear with me.
I do not feel safe often. I'm not afraid of anything, really. I just do not feel safe. I don't know what happened, but sometime in middle school or high school, I just put up my guard and never learned how to take it back down. This is particularly difficult for girls, and even more so for girls who come from broken homes or who do not have a positive relationship with their father or brothers. I do not have any brothers, and though my family is broken, I still have a relationship with my dad, so I honestly don't know why I struggle with this. But I do know one thing: Tyler made me feel safe...... always. Especially in this last year or so as our "connection" really blossomed. I have told this story before, but it relates. A little more than one year ago I told Tyler where I would be attending college. He then said this:
"I'm just two streets away if you ever need me."
That statement alone made me feel safer than I had felt in a long time. And that feeling did not fade easily. And if I was ever stressed or overwhelmed, Tyler would always say the same thing: "I'm close." Those two words held so much significance for me, and to be honest, I feel like they could more often if only we spoke them more often. Sometimes all we need is reassurance that someone we love is close by. I never needed much more than that from Tyler. His simple message was enough to put my heart at ease and make me feel secure again. Even though he was not physically with me, he reminded me that I was not alone, and I honestly feel that we should offer this simple reminder to our loved ones more often (if we mean it, of course). Just making yourself available could mean the world to someone. It meant the world to me.
I have been listening to this song a lot lately. It is called Not Alone and it is by the band RED.
"Slowly fading away
You're lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold?
Looking for a distant light
Someone who could save a life
Living in fear that no one will hear your cry
Can you save me now?
I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you
I will catch you when you feel like letting go
'Cause you're not... you're not alone
Your heart is full of broken dreams
Just a fading memory
Everything's gone but the pain carries on
Lost in the rain again
When will it ever end?
The arms of relief seem so out of reach
But I, I am here
I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you
I will catch you when you feel like letting go
'Cause you're not... you're not alone
I will be your hope when you feel like it's over
I will pick you up when your whole world shatters
And when you're finally in my arms
Look up and see that love has a face!
I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you
I will catch you when you feel like letting go
'Cause you're not... you're not alone
And I will be your hope
I will pick you up
And I will be your hope
And I will be your hope
Slowly fading away
You're lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold?"
I feel like this song reflects a lot of the things Tyler said to me. He often reminded me that I was not alone, that he was close by.... and he even promised me that he would never leave me. It hurts now to think back and remember that promise because, well, he's gone. But everything he said still means the whole world to me. The bridge of this song reminds me of the last few conversations Tyler and I ever had, but the line that gets me the most is, "And I will pick you up when your whole world shatters." Tyler basically made that same promise to me, but neither of us knew that both of our worlds were about to do just that. Shatter. I never imagined that Tyler would be the one to shatter mine after he did so much to piece it together.
But even now when I look back on those simple reminders, my heart feels glad, even in the midst of the hurt. All of this to say that it is important to make ourselves available to others, and to remind each other that we are not alone. We are all doing this crazy thing called life..... but we need to learn to do it together.
Remember this: you are not alone. And if you feel like you are, please know that you are not alone in that either. Even though I have recently moved back to school and am almost constantly surrounded by loved ones and peers... I have never felt more alone in my entire life.
You are not alone.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Ohana (means family)
It's been more than 3 months since Tyler passed away.
Lately I've been thinking about my family a lot. The Hawaiian word "Ohana" (which you've probably heard in the movie Lilo and Stitch) has been on my heart. Ohana means family. "It emphasizes that family are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another." My cousins have always been the most important group of people in my life. We are all more like brothers and sisters to each other, and we always have been. I found this really cute quote about what it means to be a cousin and it made me think of Tyler:
"A cousin sees the first tear, catches the second, and stops the third."
Man, Tyler had this formula down like a habit! I remember having numerous conversations with him late at night when I was upset. He would listen to my heart no matter how heavy it was, and he would dig deeper into the situation by asking questions. Then he would offer kind words of advice or encouragement to build me up, and then, every time, he would say something to make me laugh. Back in April I was going through a pretty rough time. Some of my friends rallied around me and tried to make me feel better, and their efforts were greatly appreciated. But in the end, it was Tyler who really got me through. After a week of pain and hardship, one conversation was all it took until he had me smiling again. He then went the extra mile by taking me out to lunch just to be sure I was okay. But during the conversation he said something that still means the world to me.... even today: "I mean this when I say it...... come over here and cry as loud as you want whenever you want, including now if you need to." Even though this conversation happened over Facebook, I could sense a lot of sincerity and seriousness in his statement. And the fact that he said this at 4:30 in the morning made it even more special. He also offered to come get me since it was so late. Now I really wish I had taken him up on that offer, just so we could have spent some more time together. I miss him.
Speaking of cousins, my cousin Branden has served in our Air Force for a few years now and has defended our freedom in Iraq and Kuwait as well as here at home. Branden is the oldest of the cousins, and he has definitely risen to the task of guiding and protecting all of us over the years. In a way, he has been something like a leader to us. Branden is very compassionate and is always looking to help others, and on top of that, he is very humble. I also feel that his strength has greatly supported us all as we have been grieving for Tyler. He was home with us for two weeks and it was absolutely wonderful having him. Branden, Tara, J.t., and I got to watch a movie together (watching movies together is a really big deal in our family), and he spent the afternoon with me, my mother, sister, and nephew. It made my heart glad to watch him play with my nephew, who obviously adores Branden even though they have not gotten to spend a lot of time together. Then on a Sunday almost the whole family gathered at PF Changs to celebrate Branden's birthday. Well, Branden is being deployed again in March or April to Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Libya, so all of this to say; prayers would be appreciated. Prayers for safety for Branden and comfort and peace of mind for the rest of us. It has never been easy to see anyone go anywhere in our family, but it's just plain awful now that we've already lost one. Knowing that Branden is going to be in danger troubles my heart something terrible, and I'm sure the same can be said for everyone in my family. So again, prayers would be appreciated.
After Tyler died and now that Branden is being deployed, I've realized something. I hate it when my family is separated. My aunt Roni and uncle Bobby will be moving out of state soon, and I've been struggling to come to terms with that. I guess we've somehow become even closer since Tyler's passing, and now, well... I don't want anything else to change. Knowing that anyone in my family is far away breaks my heart now. I don't know, I guess I'm just a little apprehensive.
On a positive note, going back to PF Changs, it was so wonderful to see [almost] my entire family there. I was tired after a long day of working in the heat and didn't plan on staying for very long, but within a few minutes I felt like I had become addicted to the smiles I saw on everyone's faces, and the love that holds us all together, even though we are incomplete without Tyler. But actually, he was there... sort of. After dinner we went to get ice cream and I noticed a necklace that my cousin Matt was wearing. It wasn't an ordinary necklace. I asked Matt if it was what/who I thought it was and he said yes. The necklace contains some of Tyler's ashes. It was strange, because in that moment I really felt like he was there. I felt like I could look at the charm and say, "Hey, Tyler!" and he would hear me. It was strange. But good. He has been tugging on our heartstring a lot lately (he's doing it right now in fact. I'm choking up just writing this), but I've felt him smiling down on me and my family. I don't know how to describe it. If you have never experienced it for yourself, then all I can tell you is that, well.... you just know. I know that Tyler is smiling.
A short update on the marathon. I took a month-long hiatus from running in June because I lost ten pounds. Since then I have gained the weight back, so no worries there. But the first time I went back to the gym, even though I had not done any running in a month, I did two miles without hardly breaking a sweat. Now I can do three miles [almost] easily. I think my body has adjusted and I'll be able to really start "training" soon. There are still 20 members on Team Tyler, but there is some really exciting news that I'll share..... in a later post. ;) This one has gone on long enough. Thank you for reading.
Tell someone you love them today.
Lately I've been thinking about my family a lot. The Hawaiian word "Ohana" (which you've probably heard in the movie Lilo and Stitch) has been on my heart. Ohana means family. "It emphasizes that family are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another." My cousins have always been the most important group of people in my life. We are all more like brothers and sisters to each other, and we always have been. I found this really cute quote about what it means to be a cousin and it made me think of Tyler:
"A cousin sees the first tear, catches the second, and stops the third."
Man, Tyler had this formula down like a habit! I remember having numerous conversations with him late at night when I was upset. He would listen to my heart no matter how heavy it was, and he would dig deeper into the situation by asking questions. Then he would offer kind words of advice or encouragement to build me up, and then, every time, he would say something to make me laugh. Back in April I was going through a pretty rough time. Some of my friends rallied around me and tried to make me feel better, and their efforts were greatly appreciated. But in the end, it was Tyler who really got me through. After a week of pain and hardship, one conversation was all it took until he had me smiling again. He then went the extra mile by taking me out to lunch just to be sure I was okay. But during the conversation he said something that still means the world to me.... even today: "I mean this when I say it...... come over here and cry as loud as you want whenever you want, including now if you need to." Even though this conversation happened over Facebook, I could sense a lot of sincerity and seriousness in his statement. And the fact that he said this at 4:30 in the morning made it even more special. He also offered to come get me since it was so late. Now I really wish I had taken him up on that offer, just so we could have spent some more time together. I miss him.
Speaking of cousins, my cousin Branden has served in our Air Force for a few years now and has defended our freedom in Iraq and Kuwait as well as here at home. Branden is the oldest of the cousins, and he has definitely risen to the task of guiding and protecting all of us over the years. In a way, he has been something like a leader to us. Branden is very compassionate and is always looking to help others, and on top of that, he is very humble. I also feel that his strength has greatly supported us all as we have been grieving for Tyler. He was home with us for two weeks and it was absolutely wonderful having him. Branden, Tara, J.t., and I got to watch a movie together (watching movies together is a really big deal in our family), and he spent the afternoon with me, my mother, sister, and nephew. It made my heart glad to watch him play with my nephew, who obviously adores Branden even though they have not gotten to spend a lot of time together. Then on a Sunday almost the whole family gathered at PF Changs to celebrate Branden's birthday. Well, Branden is being deployed again in March or April to Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Libya, so all of this to say; prayers would be appreciated. Prayers for safety for Branden and comfort and peace of mind for the rest of us. It has never been easy to see anyone go anywhere in our family, but it's just plain awful now that we've already lost one. Knowing that Branden is going to be in danger troubles my heart something terrible, and I'm sure the same can be said for everyone in my family. So again, prayers would be appreciated.
After Tyler died and now that Branden is being deployed, I've realized something. I hate it when my family is separated. My aunt Roni and uncle Bobby will be moving out of state soon, and I've been struggling to come to terms with that. I guess we've somehow become even closer since Tyler's passing, and now, well... I don't want anything else to change. Knowing that anyone in my family is far away breaks my heart now. I don't know, I guess I'm just a little apprehensive.
On a positive note, going back to PF Changs, it was so wonderful to see [almost] my entire family there. I was tired after a long day of working in the heat and didn't plan on staying for very long, but within a few minutes I felt like I had become addicted to the smiles I saw on everyone's faces, and the love that holds us all together, even though we are incomplete without Tyler. But actually, he was there... sort of. After dinner we went to get ice cream and I noticed a necklace that my cousin Matt was wearing. It wasn't an ordinary necklace. I asked Matt if it was what/who I thought it was and he said yes. The necklace contains some of Tyler's ashes. It was strange, because in that moment I really felt like he was there. I felt like I could look at the charm and say, "Hey, Tyler!" and he would hear me. It was strange. But good. He has been tugging on our heartstring a lot lately (he's doing it right now in fact. I'm choking up just writing this), but I've felt him smiling down on me and my family. I don't know how to describe it. If you have never experienced it for yourself, then all I can tell you is that, well.... you just know. I know that Tyler is smiling.
A short update on the marathon. I took a month-long hiatus from running in June because I lost ten pounds. Since then I have gained the weight back, so no worries there. But the first time I went back to the gym, even though I had not done any running in a month, I did two miles without hardly breaking a sweat. Now I can do three miles [almost] easily. I think my body has adjusted and I'll be able to really start "training" soon. There are still 20 members on Team Tyler, but there is some really exciting news that I'll share..... in a later post. ;) This one has gone on long enough. Thank you for reading.
Tell someone you love them today.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Truth Is.
There is a somewhat new craze on Facebook called Truth Is. It's very simple:
a person posts a status that says "truth is..." and then writes how they truly feel about anyone and everyone who 'likes' the status. Every night my news feed is pretty much flooded with Truth Is posts. I've actually enjoyed reading them. Some of the posts are general. People say they love someone, or how much they miss them and want to hang out. But other posts have been really deep and have really got me thinking. Why do we wait for invitations from Facebook to let people know how we really feel?
I was talking with Tyler sometime in April. It was five in the morning and we both had kind of helped each other through an emotionally rough night. He was about to go to bed, but I got a sudden nudge on my heart to tell him how I really felt about him, so I did. First I told him that I loved him, and then let him know that he was the most positive male influence in my life. When Tyler first learned where I would be going to college he told me that he lived right down the street if I ever needed him, and honestly, that statement alone made me feel more safe than I had felt since I was a child. And I told him that! From there the conversation got really, really sappy but it was truly wonderful. I feel comforted now knowing that when he died, he at least knew these things. And the last words we spoke to each other in person were, "I love you" and "I love you too."
I recently told this story to a coworker who had lost her husband to suicide a few years ago. I told her that I felt like the Holy Spirit prompted me to say those things to Tyler when I did because He knew what was going to happen in the near future. She then said something that I had not considered before. It was not just for Tyler, but for me as well. She asked if I felt guilty for leaving anything unsaid and I told her no, because I told Tyler everything I felt I needed to say that night. Then she asked how I would feel if I had never told Tyler how I felt. I would feel so, so, soooo incredibly terrible. But I don't, because I told Tyler the truth... without Facebook.
That's what I want to encourage everyone to do. People have this tendency to wait until they're sitting beside a grave to tell their loved ones how they truly feel. I've had this problem too with the exception of Tyler and a few others. If there is someone in your life who you love, respect, or admire, why not tell them now? Words of affirmation are always encouraging, so what are we waiting for? Life is short, and it's not always going to wait as long as we do. Believe me.
Some of the Truth Is posts I've read on Facebook have dealt with serious matters too. I read one where one friend thanked another for calling them out and telling them that they needed to step it up as a leader. Blunt truths like that can be hard to take at first, and they need to be delivered with care and sensitivity, but I think they need to be delivered just as often as words of affirmation.
That's all I have to say, really.
a person posts a status that says "truth is..." and then writes how they truly feel about anyone and everyone who 'likes' the status. Every night my news feed is pretty much flooded with Truth Is posts. I've actually enjoyed reading them. Some of the posts are general. People say they love someone, or how much they miss them and want to hang out. But other posts have been really deep and have really got me thinking. Why do we wait for invitations from Facebook to let people know how we really feel?
I was talking with Tyler sometime in April. It was five in the morning and we both had kind of helped each other through an emotionally rough night. He was about to go to bed, but I got a sudden nudge on my heart to tell him how I really felt about him, so I did. First I told him that I loved him, and then let him know that he was the most positive male influence in my life. When Tyler first learned where I would be going to college he told me that he lived right down the street if I ever needed him, and honestly, that statement alone made me feel more safe than I had felt since I was a child. And I told him that! From there the conversation got really, really sappy but it was truly wonderful. I feel comforted now knowing that when he died, he at least knew these things. And the last words we spoke to each other in person were, "I love you" and "I love you too."
I recently told this story to a coworker who had lost her husband to suicide a few years ago. I told her that I felt like the Holy Spirit prompted me to say those things to Tyler when I did because He knew what was going to happen in the near future. She then said something that I had not considered before. It was not just for Tyler, but for me as well. She asked if I felt guilty for leaving anything unsaid and I told her no, because I told Tyler everything I felt I needed to say that night. Then she asked how I would feel if I had never told Tyler how I felt. I would feel so, so, soooo incredibly terrible. But I don't, because I told Tyler the truth... without Facebook.
That's what I want to encourage everyone to do. People have this tendency to wait until they're sitting beside a grave to tell their loved ones how they truly feel. I've had this problem too with the exception of Tyler and a few others. If there is someone in your life who you love, respect, or admire, why not tell them now? Words of affirmation are always encouraging, so what are we waiting for? Life is short, and it's not always going to wait as long as we do. Believe me.
Some of the Truth Is posts I've read on Facebook have dealt with serious matters too. I read one where one friend thanked another for calling them out and telling them that they needed to step it up as a leader. Blunt truths like that can be hard to take at first, and they need to be delivered with care and sensitivity, but I think they need to be delivered just as often as words of affirmation.
That's all I have to say, really.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
20
Here is an official headcount of the members of Team Tyler as of today, 7/7/2011:
Family members:
Family members:
- Tara (cousin)
- Bridget (aunt)
- Jerome (my dad)
- Olivia (my sister)
- Alicia (my step mom)
- Kyle (cousin)
Friends of Tyler:
- Nick
- Halle
From Cincinnati Christian University:
- Ethan
- Jenna
- Michael
From Vineyard Community Church:
- Kayla
- Melissa
From Compass Community Church:
- Keith
From Western Hills Chick-fil-A:
- Michael (owner and operator)
- Kara
- Alexis
- Matt
- Sammy
... and me, which makes a total of 20 members with one day shy of 10 months left to go until the marathon. This makes me smile, and I'm sure Tyler is smiling down on us too. :)
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