Thorns and Roses

On Thursday I turned in my last assignment of college (a paper that was worth 90% of my grade and I wrote between 10:00 pm and 1:00 am the night before... whoops...).  I celebrated with Will that night at Settebello, then went home and soaked my feet in a bowl of steamy water while watching Lark Rise to Candleford on my mom's iPad and chatting with my dad.  I went to bed early and just thought about how life is so very good...

Settebello + Will + Being done with school = Bliss

Then my mom called me Friday morning saying my dad was in an ambulance on his way to the hospital after a road bike accident; she knew he was conscious, but that was all.  For the next day and a half we experienced the ups and downs of a hospital stay: the nurses telling us that he just had a bad concussion and would be released by Friday afternoon, and then a physician's assistant telling us that the CT scan showed bleeding in his brain, which, he tried to tell us gently, could be nothing, or could become serious and fatal.  For a short period, I was terrified that my biggest nightmare would come to realization, that I might lose a parent at the age of 22.  But I am so grateful for my brother's priesthood blessing, which spoke of healing and brought us all comfort, and that the CT scan Saturday morning showed that the bleeding in the brain had stopped, and my dad would be fine.

I feel so, so blessed.  I am so grateful that my dad's accident was not more serious, and that he is already as lively as ever; he even went to the gym Saturday afternoon to keep his workout streak going.  More than anything, I am grateful for a reminder that life is so fragile, and I need to appreciate every moment.  I need to enjoy the way this evening smelled of crab apple blossoms and freshly cut lawns; I must accept Meg's invitation to go on a walk together; I want to enjoy every minute with my loved ones, so that I never look back with regret.  Life is precious and wonderful, but fleeting, and I intend to take advantage of every minute of it.