Listening.

We just got home from vacation Saturday and although it's now Wednesday, I still feel like I'm catching up on rest! We had a house full of family and friends and four lively kids to keep us all on our toes the entire week.

It's good to be home, but waiting at home for us was some sadness that my family and I were able to avoid while at Ocean Isle. Our dear neighbor and friend, Don Ranelli, passed away on Sunday, August 1st.

I grew up in a neighborhood where you knew/know each others names, pets names, schedules, habits, lives, favorite color...you get the idea. And I never realized how special this was until I moved away to college.

Mr. Ranelli use to call my brother at Christmas posing as Santa Claus and worked on the board of directors with my Mom to open the Summit Point Public Library. And although he battled with cancer for 15 years, he never let go of his desire to serve there on the board. His daughter Lisa and I were talking at the viewing, which was wonderful until I remembered why we were reunited. She simply said, "If there's any advice I can offer from this, it's to spend a lot of time with your Dad."

Our first Sunday back, the neighbor on our other side, Keith, came over with his wife (crazy to say he has a wife when I still keep him at age five) to tell us that hospice was coming and they don't give his Mom more than this week and next to live. This isn't a surprise. Roma's been battling cancer for 18 years. But it's just hard to face.

I've successfully avoided the heartache of our little community by going to college, getting married, having a child, staying away.

Brett and I watched the first episode of the Tony Robins show last night. Go ahead, make fun. We did too until we found ourselves applying what we had watched in conversation and looking at areas that we could grow in.

We both walked away from that show realizing how grateful we want to be. For each other, for our beautiful boy, for our families, our home, our job, school, oxygen, salvation. It reminded me, there's so much to look at when counting flaws, but there's way more to look at when counting blessings. So I gained five pounds last week, I can walk and breath.

I thank God for bringing to the forefront this life lesson by celebrating the lives of others who are so strong.

I'm grateful. I'm listening.