How do you measure a year?
My first couple years in public accounting I was able to purchase discount tickets to the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles (how I would love those $17 tickets now). One of the first shows that I saw was RENT. After getting over the initial shock of the story (those were my naive days), I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the music. My favorite was
Seasons of Love. This soundtrack has been playing in my head over the last week.
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred MinutesFive Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments so dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five ThousandSix Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?
In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife
365 days ago I was sitting with my husband and four kids at Cheesecake Factory in San Francisco celebrating my son's 11th birthday. We had splurged and decided to celebrate Jared's birthday with an outing to San Francisco instead of gifts. 365 days ago I worried about my kids in school and how finances were tight. It was not until
that evening that everything changed.
Over the last year, I have seen amazing things:
- The strength of a community to provide my sister with meals for 6 months, which allowed her to sit and have dinner with her kids every night.
- Dentists and professionals donating their time to help continue the amazing dental practice my brother-in-law built until it was sold.
- Numerous people who planned the funeral and donated their means to provide food and drink for the hundreds that attended.
- Friends who won't take no for an answer when offers for lunch or a walk were turned down.
- Countless phone calls and texts that continue to be sent even though not always answered.
- A pair of orthodontists who have completely taken care of my niece and nephew.
- Pajamas, movie tickets, and 12 days of Christmas gifts that have shown up on doorsteps just to make a family's day a little better.
- An attorney and practice manager (that I didn't even know a year ago) who I trust with my life, and who enabled the practice to be sold in 6 weeks.
- Friends that planned a 44th birthday party (and again wouldn't take no for an answer) just because we needed a reason to celebrate.
- The bond of our Schultz family of four, which has enabled us to survive and support each other through the unimaginable.
- A wonderful group of my brother-in-law's friends who organized a golf tournament that resulted in over 100 people in attendance, celebrating Steve's life and donating money to my niece and nephew's college fund.
As my little family has endured the last year of the loss of Steve, the loss of our
wonderful Papa, the loss of Jeff's job and another fall by one of my daughters (who seem to think that falling from high places and coming out unscathed is the norm), I have come to appreciate the little things. Unfortunately the last year has not made me perfect. I still worry about my kids and I still get annoyed by little things that my husband and kids do (even though I should be appreciative that I still have them). I do now worry a little bit more when my husband and kids are running late because I realize that bad things do happen. I also have 20+ pounds to show for the stress of the last year.
I have become acutely aware that I have little control over life which is a difficult thing for a control freak. I loathe the song Stronger by Kelly Clarkson because I have no desire to become stronger - though I hope that maybe the last year has made me a little stronger.
As I drove to work today with a lump in my throat, I remembered the last Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes and how much love I have experienced. I hope that this year I will be able to be on the giving end instead of the receiving.
Thank you to all of you have shown so much love.
