Life can change in an instant

Monday morning. After a busy weekend and a very restless night last night. My daughter seeming to have picked up the cold that my son and husband brought back from their travels or should I say their overextended stays on airplanes and Newark airport last week.

Having to get up in the middle of the night looking for some cold medicine to help her settle. Feeling sorry for her weepy eyes, runny nose, blocked nose sometimes and constant sneezing. Finding something for her and giving to her. Waiting for it to take effect so we could both sleep. After what seemed like an eternity she settled and I drifted in and out of sleep. Seeing every hour going by.

Thinking about the man in a little Boston Whaler my son and his friend heard hit a rock at top speed last night. Thinking about the man saying he needed someone to help him. Thinking about how we all rushed out to try to locate the man. Some of us on land. My husband and others on a boat scouring the dark waters with lights and yelling out to the man. But by the time we all could get there he had vanished. Disappeared. Despite the sinking feeling going through us all, we hoped he was able to swim to safety somewhere. Trying not to think the worse. All we could do was call the marine police and turn the situation over to them. Taking solace in the fact we had done all we could. Releasing his fate to the Universe. Wishing him well.

My husband and I overcome with memories of a similar situation we witnessed some 12 years before when we could not save someone that fell into the water outside our home. Hoping we were not witnessing a similar situation. As I lay there last night watching over my daughter to make sure she was okay, I kept thinking about that man. Thinking about how quickly life can change. How we can be sitting and talking with friends enjoying the moment only for that moment to change instantly when we hear news about a potential tragedy. Thinking how important it is to always tell the ones we love we love them when we part from each other because we never know if we will see them again. Or if we see them again, what state we will see them in.

Hugging my daughter listening to her back to make sure she was breathing. Watching her chest going in and out happy she was breathing. Grateful that my family was intact. Everyone breathing and safe. Grateful that we had been spared another day.

Waking this morning still not knowing the outcome for that man but knowing our paths had crossed for a reason. To remind me to live in the moment and to not take any moment for granted because life can change in an instant.