The View From Here – You Might Not Know This

I bet you didn’t realize that some days are really hard when you have a job like mine.

Where you’re required, and expected, to show up and sound happy and cheerful and bright. Even when you’re not.

I bet you didn’t realize some days we are just trying to keep it together.  Before that mic goes on.  In between songs.  Trying to regroup.  Trying to focus.  Trying not to think about things that hurt us.

This pandemic living has been tough on everybody.  It’s affected us in so many different ways.

One thing that we have come to realize – we really need people in our lives.  We need connection.  It’s been a lonely, isolating time for sure.  Working from home has been nice, but it’s sure made it hard.

You think you won’t miss going “to work” and co-workers.  Or the drive.  But you do.  You really do.

Then there are days like today, that are a reminder of something even bigger.

Those close to me know my story.  YOU – might not.

30 years ago today my life changed forever.  My mom, brother and sister were killed in a car accident.

The unthinkable happened.  To me.  To my family.  One summer day in 1990,  half my family went out the door to pick up dinner and a movie, and they never came back.

30 years later, you would think it would be somehow easier.

But the moment you open your eyes on the anniversary day, you feel it.  The weight of the day.  It’s heavy.

There is something about this day on the calendar that takes me right back in time to that moment when that 18 year old girls life changed forever.  I remember every detail, even though I wish so much I could forget.

It’s part of my story.  It’s part of who I am.  It’s helped me grow.   It’s made me realize that life is short,  tomorrow is never guaranteed, and you should never take anybody for granted.

I think there are events in life that teach us and remind us just how valuable people are. Because we forget.

We hold grudges.  We wait for someone else to make the first move, apologize, or do something.

We make excuses. We avoid phone calls.  Forget to call or text back.

A friend of mine from high school passed away this weekend.  50 years old.  She suffered a stroke.  I sat in shock for the rest of the weekend.  Thinking about times she messaged me or reached out.  She had been trying to get our old high school “gang” together for one more beach day.  To celebrate friendship and old times.  We never did.  Regret is HARD.

Why do we wait? Why do we think we all have time?

This pandemic that we have gone through has been a learning experience.  It’s forced us to slow down and reflect.  It’s made us realize the people in our lives matter more than we realized.

I know how easily those people we are closest to can be taken away.  For my family, it was the fraction of a second that changed our lives forever.

We have a chance to change things for the better.  To keep those connections strong.  To nurture relationships.

As we start to see things re-open, and life return to almost normal – I hope that we all remember to put people first.  I hope we stop making excuses.  I hope that we continue to stay connected, and reach out, and never take those people for granted.

Because tomorrow isn’t promised to anybody.

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan