love at first sight

the past few weeks have of course been eventful..having another person now become apart of the clan as well as the OPT family (as the facility is home right now for Hannah as i'm sure it will be for Chloe) has made me reflect about how fortunate we all are...

having the same flood of emotions as i experienced with Hannah's birth....i'd thought i'd share...

humans are remarkable! please be fortunate that you have life, that you can breathe, that you can exercise, that you can compete with friends...we sometimes lose focus due to the collective energy that surounds us most times outside of OPT (which is why a lot of people like just being around here)...."don't sweat the small stuff" may or may not sit with you...but make it a mantra...in everything you do...I was fortunate (i guess) to have banged into another father (i do not even remember his name)...basically, L and I and him and his wife were in the hospital for the same process, awaiting our time for induction because our future childrens time had come....we parted to different rooms and met up the next morning....the morning that i came back to see L and Chloe for the first time...we met in the hallway...he mentioned how things did not necessarily go as planned and wife and child barely squeaked through...and here i was, happy, healthy (somewhat small and beautiful) child in hand ready for her first bath...and I could see on his face that he had had his life taken away and handed to him in seconds played out before his eyes....

so i pondered, and i pondered some more...i am so god damn fortunate to have friends such as yourselves, to have the power to affect others lives (cause God knows this guy definitely used my words in what i had to offer when we met again), to have witnessed the interaction of siblings for the first time (which is why i posted this video, if you're patient, it's worth it), to possess all that i have, to have mentors (my elders) teach me as i need...i think the word is gratitude...i use it often, so should you, as focusing on that makes it all worthwhile

9 comments:

Geoff Aucoin said...

Adorable. Amazing. What else can I say? Life is beautiful.

Aly Jansen said...

Congratulations!!!
I normally just read your blog without commenting but that video.......SOOOOOOO precious!!!!
Hannah and Chloe are blessed to have such wonderful parents!!

Thanks for inspiring me to be a better person!

Brent Maier said...

I have two beautiful kids of my own and continually remind myself what a blessing my wife and kids are on a daily basis. My wife is an NICU nurse practioner and she has shared with me over the years many fantastic stories where a families tight bond, love, and hope has pulled them through the gravest of situations. You hit it on the head brother. It doesn't matter if you are there for the birth of your child or driving down the road and hear a song like "Dont Blink" by Kenny Chesney, they are all reminders of how wonderful life is!

Sweeney said...

Imagine watching that 10,15,20 years from now....

Trevor Salmon said...

That was amazing. You are going to have amazing moments like that for the rest of your life.
I loved the nose honking bit!

Gord said...

The video said it all!!!

rwcorson said...

Priceless!
It's so cool seeing Hannah smile when she realizes that Chloe has finally arrived!
Darren, like you said, it will be interesting to see that clip in the future and the reaction it brings.
James, great comments, as usual.

Alvaro said...

It is very nice to see people gratefull for their lives and family. My two girls are the best thing that ever happened to me and I would give my life for them without hesitation.
Having said so, Sophia (now 16 months) is driving my wife and I crazy!!! and we are enjoying the crazyness aswell :) I wouldn't change a single minute of my life with them. Fun, fun and more fun.

Steve Caddy said...

Beautiful!
Congratulations man. :)