In Sickness and In Health

Yesterday I saw something that I don't think I will ever forget. It happened in one of those moments where I realized how precious life is and the love that we find and give to other people.

I was walking out of Ikea, still laughing about my 6 inch hot dog, when I noticed a beautiful young couple and their two young children. The kids were running ahead toward the exit; the dad shouting for them to slow down, and the mother slowly moving behind. It looked like any other family except for one thing: the mother was in a wheel chair and could not move her body and did not have any legs.

But she was beautiful. Her long blonde hair had been neatly curled and pulled back in a styling flower-clip. Her face, despite being lopsided, glowed and was completely made up. I was instantly drawn to this family, as the father wanted to catch up to his running children, yet was loyal and walked near his wife. I thought about the fact that she did look so beautiful, yet her arms were stuck near her trunk and I would be very surprised that she had the ability to put on make-up. Her husband did it for her because he knew she wanted to feel beautiful.

I can't help but think about families like this. How did she get hurt? Where was he when he found out? What kind of experiences will those kids have as compared to their peers? What is their love life like? Did people try to talk him into leaving her? Will he one day? Does she feel like she could understand if he did?

But from what I could tell, none of those questions mattered. The family, despite its obvious trials, were enjoying a day of shopping just like any other family. It was obvious that the husband love his wife dearly and was determined to not let her feel any more pain than she already had. Perhaps those children will grow up better than kids who have active moms in their lives just because they had a real, true example of unconditional love.

When I see these heart-breaking, yet beautiful families, I realize how grateful I am for everything I have. I have a job. I have a new nephew. I have a fiancée who I know would always stay with me. I have parents and sisters and a brother-in-law who sacrifice for me. I have education. I have my religion. I have freedom. Shame on me for ever feeling sorry for myself. Shame on me for ever feeling scare of the future, when I have such an amazing life now and I don't want to waste a second of it.

I am sure that family doesn't want my pity. It doesn't want me to be comparing myself to it. I am sure that they feel grateful for their wife and mother to be alive and they are physically able to help her out. And that is what makes me feel grateful most of all.

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog

So it has been awhile and I have to say that I think I have just been lacking inspiration for a bit. But that is now over, as I have a wedding to plan, a new job, no car and time that wants to be filled. So lets get down to business.

Yesterday I was walking in the giant room in Ikea, you know the one that is factory sized where people can grab the bed that they had been trying out in other sections of the store. And as I was walking to the check-out area, I couldn't help but notice an advertisement in the store about the size of a billboard. On it was a giant hot dog, about 20 feet long. It was on sale for 50 cents. But beneath the hot dog was this interesting description: *not actual size.

Really? How did that description get there? Was there once an Ikea customer who asked for the 20 foot hot dog in the advertisement only to be disappointed and complain to corporate about false advertisements? I can just see it now...

Customer: Yes, I would like two hot dogs.

Server: Here you go sir. One dollar.

Customer: These are only like 6 inches long.

Server: Yeah, our dogs are about average for the market.

Customer: Well your sign sure makes them seem like they are going to be at least 15 feet long!

Server: Sir, its a hot dog...

After that, Ikea endures a long battle of trials and lawsuits only to find that they must now change all of their advertisements to warn customers that this lunch is in fact, the average size of a hot dog, and not the length of a limousine. I am sure that this desperate endeavor has saved many a customer from disappointment.

Its kinda like when you are a little kid and you think that maybe the pieces of cereal are going to be the size of the cereal on the box. But every time, there it is, written, "Enlarged to show texture." But I guess I can understand the dissapointment is bigger for dwarfed hot dog. I mean a 20 foot dog and a 6 inch dog is a 40:1 ratio. Enlarged fruit loops to actual fruit loops is about a 2:1 ration. I guess if you are the kind of person who gets upset by the deceiving breakfast cereal boxes, the Ikea hot dog would be a heartbreaking ordeal.