Life is "Brutiful"....

I heard something on the radio (89.5) yesterday – it was a story about a woman who said that life was “brutiful” - - - brutal and beautiful - - - hence the term, “brutiful.”  She goes on to say that life is both brutal and beautiful and that we need to experience both and that we get through the brutal and experience the beautiful every day, week, month and year.  I loved it.  Brutiful – it’s so true!

 It’s snowed, finally!  We woke up to the beautiful scenery of a few inches of snow this morning and by the reactions of my two children, you would have thought Santa himself had just made a surprise visit overnight!  I wish we could all see life through the eyes of a child (and that includes snow).  Their eyes filled with wonderment, delight and just sheer joy at the sight of seeing how the snow blanketed the yard, trees and cars.  It was just enough snow to get them “suited up” in their big bulky snowsuits (much like that worn by the younger brother of Ralphie in “A Christmas Story!”)  They went outside with Daddy to help him clear off the cars, shovel the driveway and make snow angels…ok, well they didn’t help my husband much but they did make lots and lots of snow angels.  At one point I was standing on the porch watching when my son yelled, “Hey look Mommy!  Look at my snow angels!”  And in that instant, as I watched Matthew and Katie playing together in snow, I thought to myself, “Yes, would you just LOOK at my two beautiful little snow angels.  Thank you God for my snow angels!”

 So, today marks 3 days to go…three, as in 1-2-3.  It’s definitely hitting me now.  That is the brutal reality of it sitting right there in front of me and I can’t ignore it anymore.  It’s like when kids play hide-n-seek and yell “Ready or not, here I come!”  That’s sorta how I feel.  The orthotist dropped off my back brace this afternoon and I’ll need to bring it with me to the hospital on Tuesday.  It’s looovelyyyy (haha).  I started packing for “the trip” – not to Bermuda or Barbados…oh I wish…this trip isn’t one many would ever want to sign up for.  From what I hear, the view stinks, the food is awful and there’s no happy hour!  So how much underwear and socks do I really need when I’ll be in the hospital for 2+ weeks?  Do I bring a hairdryer?  My phone and iPad for sure – Santa got us an iPad so that Mommy could see the kids on FaceTime while in the hospital.  I love Santa for thinking of that!  And the phone has all my music, which I love so much and can’t live without!?  Definitely need to bring a few framed photos of me and the kids.  That will be the hardest part – not seeing the kids every day.  I worry how they’ll handle this – but kids are so resilient and with so many friends and family members offering their support, I know they’ll be ok.  It may take a while, but we’ll get “there.”  The other day my son was asking questions about my back surgeries and on our way home from daycare he said, “So Mommy, they’re gonna take out your bad bones and put new ones in but they just have to remember to not touch the sides, like in Operation (the game!)”  As I chuckled under my breath but at the same time wiped a tear away, I said “Yep Matt, something like that!”  Another “brutiful” moment…