She stopped me in my tracks today...

Admittedly in the recent weeks, I have let the circumstances in my surroundings steal my joy. God chooses to bring messages in many different ways.

In the midst of running around today, to the school my 9 year olds recorder concert, to the Vitamin Shoppe, the dry cleaners, the drive through for lunch, I sat on the floor in my living room nursing my baby boy and turned on the mid morning news. The last story on the newscast was about a family choosing joy in the midst of grief.

A baby girl named Avery Canahuati stopped me in my tracks today. Here is a link to the story I saw. I sat nursing my perfectly healthy baby boy with tears pouring down my face. Avery's parents are beautiful, amazing people who are making a choice to make the very best of their baby's life for whatever time they have her with them here on earth.

At one point in the interview her mother says this... “Mike always told me we’ve got all the time in the world to cry,” said Laura. “We can cry, you know, when she’s no longer here. But for now we want to enjoy the time we do have with her and just make memories.” I know they are putting her story out there to raise awareness of spinal muscular atrophy, SMA Type 1. But the message they are sending in addition is a much, much bigger and powerful one. We can choose how we spend our days with our loved ones.

Life is so very precious and fleeting. In the final days I spent with my mom before she passed away I sat in the presence of a woman who had had her share of pain in her life, both physical and emotional and all of that falls away when you are left with precious little time with the people you love. My parents had been divorced 5 years before Mom died. Dad visited her a few days before my final visit. All the blame and pent up anger fell away in that visit and it seems as if the two of them put things to rest and all that remained was sweet, sweet love.

The Canahuatis realize what is important in the here and now is to love Avery like nobody's business. And they are doing it with all of their might. I took a lesson from them today and hugged each of my precious ones close, for I have taken them for granted. I'd like this beautiful family to know that I am sending prayers for Avery, their strength and peace on this journey they are on, and a hope that a cure may be found soon.

Please visit Avery's precious blog at Avery's Bucket List and like her page on Facebook. Help her parents spread the word about spinal muscular atrophy and learn a little about choosing joy at the same time.