Precious Moments

I have a small collection of Precious Moments figurines but most of the ones I have, has a particular significance in my life. In other words it was given to me by someone special or I purchased it because it had some particular meaning for me. While I enjoy my collection there are precious moments that are much more important and that is being with family. With Jeremy's soon departure to Iraq, I have come to value each minute as especially precious. A year in broad terms does not seem like much but when you have to go through that 365 days moment by moment, hour by hour while someone you love is far away in a dangerous place, it can be excruciatingly long. So I challenge each one to take time today and go tell your husband or wife, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, mothers and fathers, how much you love them. And if some rifts have come between you over time, make this the time to mend a few fences. We have been dreading when Jeremy has to leave and yet we want to enjoy this week as much as we can so we are squeezing every minute out of every day. I hope you will all do the same with all of your families. Never take them for granted. Treasure your precious moments. If there are days when you seem to tire of each other or get a little short tempered with your kids, your spouses or just family in general, pause and think what it would be like not to have them around for a year and remember to say a little prayer for three little kids who are missing their daddy and a wife who now must assume multiple roles, and for another mom who just wants her kids to be safe.