That's Life, Baby.

"Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride" - Gary Allen

Life isn't always beautiful and like a NASCAR race, it's not always a beautiful ride -  sorry Gary. And, unlike NASCAR, there's no safer barrier, no helmets, no holds barred. Sometimes it's OK, sometimes it's great and sometimes it's just plain ugly. That's life, baby.

I just got back from a trip to visit family in Michigan. Technically, they were Jim's family first - but, I love those Dobbins' like they were my own. We went up to visit for various reasons. But it was our first time away from the funeral home. Away - we thought - from the daily reminder of the circle of life. W.R.O.N.G. If ever there was a "full circle" trip -- this was it.

Let me back up. "That's life, Baby" -- the title of this blog is a phrase I find myself telling my husband all the time. We are running on zero sleep - that's life. We had an argument over replacing the roll of toilet paper - that's life. Our friends enjoyed a long summer of days on the beach, we spent long hours growing our business - that's life. God never promised it would be easy, He just promised He would always be with us. And, in the grand scheme of LIFE -- Jim and I are blessed beyond our wildest dreams. I have moments of doubt and so does he, but at the end of the day -- it doesn't get much better than this. I am married to my best friend - literally. Who else can you make up new words like "snarf" with,  at the airport when some guy sounds like he just sneezed and barfed at the same time? And -- still be laughing about it 3 days later :) Who else knows you so well it's comforting and infuriating -- depending on the situation. We have a beautiful home, a growing business and live in a part of the country most people dream of visiting. But - life ain't always beautiful. Back to our Michigan trip.

I met my nephew. My sweet, snuggly,  6 month old miracle nephew. I rememebered what love at first sight felt like. (I've experienced it before -- I've got two nieces who have Auntie M wrapped right around their little fingers). My brother and sister in law tried for 6 years to have this little munchkin -- he is beautiful, he makes LIFE beautiful.

A month ago my brother in law had a horrible accident with a table saw. He lost one finger and may never regain full mobility of two more. Is he upset? Absolutely. Is he thinking about it when he holds his beautiful son? Maybe. But - when he's down on the floor, blowing on his tummy and making him laugh - I'm guessing a lot of things get put into perspective. That's life, baby. As my Mama D would say "Schtuff happens". And, sometimes that "Schtuff" sucks. Holding my nephew, seeing his Daddy in a way I've never seen him before -- sometimes that "Schtuff" is awesome.

Jim's uncle has cancer. Four words. One of which - cancer - is enough to send any of us running. He has a loving wife and two beautiful daughters who might, in no small way, have to face life with the hole of his loss. We had dinner with him - one of the best nights I've had in a long time, probably my entire life. We drank the good wine, told the great stories and said "I love you" without thinking about it. He and his wife recently traveled to Paris -- a top destination on my bucket list. I teased Jim about taking me there for my big 3-0 next year. 30 in Paris, what would be better. His uncle said - do it. Don't wait. I hope we hold on to that. Not that we go to Paris necessarily, but that we seize every opportunity - every day. It's so easy to get caught up. Date night can wait. The anniversary of the day we met isn't really THAT important. The movie will be there tomorrow, the restaurant will still be serving next Friday. But - none of us knows what our fate is. I wonder how many times Jim's uncle looks back and says - I wish I had taken that trip, surprised her for lunch, hugged them just a little tighter.

So, what's the difference between my beautiful nephew and Jim's uncle? What makes one the beautiful part of life and one the ugly part? Perspective? Maybe. One is at the beginning of life and one is staring down the barrel of the end. But -- aren't we all? I could die tomorrow and when all is said and done -- was my ride a beautiful one? That isn't decided by fate or circumstance -- it's decided by me. I can get fighting mad, or I can get mad and fight. I can sit down and take it as it comes -- or I can make it happen. I can't cure cancer. I can't make the hurt that life deals us go away. But, I can remind myself every day of my sweet nephew and the promise of new life. And, I can remind myself of Jim's uncle and the reality that life here on Earth is temporary and unpredictable. That's life, baby.