Perspective means Everything

Just when we think that having the best workout routine and the softest yoga pants will make us happy, we need to step back and remember what we truly treasure in life - at least what we should truly treasure.

Here is a more personal story about something that rocked my world more than anything and as the creator of FTW, I think it's important that we know that real people go through real things and no one is an exception. Not us, not the professionals, no one.

February 2015

- So, Wednesday morning I woke up at 6:40 just like every other morning and was sitting on my floor trying to curl my hair. It wasn't turning out how I wanted and I was getting so bugged. Around 6:55 my mom came to my door and said "tay, I need to talk to you open your door". I was thinkin she was going to tell me "give me my curling iron back and use yours" or something like that, but she said "Jeff (one of my dads lifting buddies and close friends) just called me and said that dad may have just had a stroke at the gym and they are taking him to the ER right now. We need to head over there right now."

-my hair didn't seem like much of a problem anymore.

my world broke in half.

I am a Daddy's girl through and through. My dad is my rock, my hero, and my twin. We are the same and my mom just told me that he may have had a stroke. {About three years ago my grandma had a stroke and she wasn't able to speak for a long time, she still has zero control of her left side, and trouble swallowing. So when my mom told me this, I immediately thought that my dad was going to never be the same, and may never be able to walk me down the isle. So as you can imagine I was a mess}

So anyways, we got to the ER and he was sitting up in bed and seemed to be just fine other than a little bit of a droop in his smile. He was joking with me and saying how he just wants to leave because he hates the hospital and he's too big for the beds, and his butt felt like he had been sitting on bleaches for 5 years. Hahaha. Good old normal dad. He seemed just fine.

Then just as we were talking he had another stroke.

His face dropped, his talking slurred, his left side starting going crazy and he lost feeling in his hands and face. My hero was sitting in an ER bed in front of me drooling because he had no control of his mouth and was crying because he was so scared. I've only seen my dad cry three times in my life.

So as I run out of the room to find a nurse I also try to find my mom. It was the longest minute of my entire life.

They got him somewhat under control and gave us a large decision of taking a very risky drug. Everyone was so scared and so worried. As we waited for the doctors to come in I held his hand and just prayed. Prayed hard. And prayed lots. They gave him the drug and it worked! It was a miracle. By 8 pm that night my dad was completely normal. GOD IS GOOD. He could have died right there and even had more strokes and possible heart attacks but God protected him and kept him alive.

I wrote this up for you not so that you would feel bad for me or for my family. I wrote this so that you would see what really matters and that God is so good. Perfect curls mean nothing. A messed up order at a drive through is nothing. A crappy car is nothing. The perfect meal prep is nothing. Though all nice things, they don't surmount the importance of the people and relationships we all have in this life.

This experience made me realize what matters. What counts. I encourage you to take a hard look at your life and be really thankful for what you have. Hug the people you love. Say thank you. Be nice. Don't get bugged because it probably doesn't matter.

Feel free to share a life changing story of yours in the comments! It's good to share, you never who your story may touch.