Bird in Hand

I finished a book I randomly chose from the library today, and a passage on the last page surprisingly stood out to me in a way I didn't expect considering this was a "just for fun" read.

"Each moment of loss, she has come to believe, contains within it the possibility of a new life. When the unimaginable happens, and your life changes irrecovably, you may find along with the pain a kind of grace. And in the place of certainty and fear - the fear of losing what you had - you are left with something startling: a depth of empathy, a quivering sensitivity to the world around you, and the unexpected blessing of gratitude for what remains." - Bird in Hand by Christina Baker Kline

I'm obviously hyper-sensitive to anything that has to do with loss considering the date that is fast approaching, but I read these words over and over, and just kept thinking how true they are. The pain of loss is very real and very much always there, but with it, comes the reality of how truly blessed I am by what I still have - 2 beautiful, healthy, active living boys; a husband that loves me unconditionally; parents and siblings that support me; a home; food on the table; a God that provides - the list could go on. All of that gets taken for granted until you experience deep, heartwrenching loss, and then, you can't help but notice the small blessings in life.