Family

So today I decided to randomly look through one of my mom's photo album's from her second marriage. The I decided to upload some of the pictures and as I was uploading I kept thinking about all of the things that had happened since that wedding. 

One of my mom's sisters fought and won a battle with cancer, she married the man who stood by her through it all, suffered with infertility, and was then blessed with a beautiful baby girl who is almost eight years old. 

Her other sister had a baby after everyone thinking she would never marry and settle down. 

My oldest cousin is married.

My mother had two other children an I don't know what life would be like without them.

 

My step dad's father, who looked young and healthy at the wedding died two summers ago after a painful fight with his aging body.

I have watched my grandfather and grandmother age and try to deny their aging bodies as they still play golf frequently and keep their minds sharp. 

I lost my grandfather on my father's side. 

And the most recent occurrence is that my step dad's oldest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and she is undergoing a mastectomy tomorrow. This will then be proceeded by aggressive rounds of chemo and radiation in hopes of killing the cancer. My hope and prayers are with her and her family. God give her strength and hope and let her know you have not abandoned her or her family. 

 

As I flipped through all of these pictures seeing my siblings grow and change and looking at the images frozen in time, I kept thinking, these people had no idea what was going to happen 12 years down the road.

 It especially hits me when I think of my parents, now divorced and hating each other.  I have pictures from their dating years, their engagement, their marriage, and when they decided to start a family.

I look at these and think how is it possible that all of this has happened? Those people had no idea what was going to happen to them as life happened. 

It just reinforces to me that we really have no control over lives. Relationships end, people get sick, sometimes even die, but some how...we always find a way to solider on. We fight thorough the tears and the pain, because without them we would never know joy and happiness.

God loves us and he knows how are lives are going to turn out. he weeps for us in times of sorrow and smiles with us in times of joy. We need to trust that everything that happens is meant for a greater plan that we cannot see and all we can do is pray, and live, and love. With the hope that we will one day understand what this life is for.