What is this life?

I have a couple of great blogs in the works, but I have to put pictures on the computer first so you can really appreciate them (hint: they may or may not involve Heidi's "toys" and smores).

Instead, I sit here on a Monday night, drinking a glass of wine, watching the Brewers and just feeling...like an island. I lead a very blessed life. I haven't always, but that only makes me appreciate all the more the life that I somehow wound up with. I have more in my life than I ever thought I'd have. Or ever deserved to have, for that matter. Many people would take my life just to have one of the wonderful things I have: a terrific job that I love, a husband who adores me despite my many faults, a daughter who is a dream come true. There are more days than not that I sit here and think to myself, "why me? what did I do to deserve this life?"

All around me, are people with so much pain, so much heartbreak, so much struggle, so many tears. People that have lost babies, or children, or jobs, or houses, or parents. People that are dealing with an illness, or have children that are. That have been laid off or "let go."

Why has life dealt me such a good hand, but not spared all those around me? How does God choose who gets what cards? Is it really based on who can handle the cards? Then He must know that I am weak. Just thinking of going through the storm and struggles my friends, my family have gone through makes me hurt. I could not do it.

And so, I count my blessings every night. Maybe I was given this life because He knew that I would appreciate it. I do. I've never taken for granted all that I've been given. I have been blessed. Many times over.