The Best Things in Life...

I have been wanting to write this post for a few weeks now, but couldn't find the right energy to do so.

Last night I decided to look through some old pictures just for fun. I do this every few months and I find something new each time. Although technology has changed and taken over, I still like to get my pictures PRINTED. Not just sitting on some invisible "drive," on my computer... Or floating around in space. And the same goes for books. I like to physically hold the book and turn the pages. Not just swipe my finger.

Anyway, I decided to look through more pictures tonight. I found my autobiography, which was written my senior year in high school. It is full of (now) hysterical and embarrassing pictures. And it wouldn't be complete without a timeline, life story, and prediction of the future.

Well, lets just say I'm not where I thought I'd be, but I'm exactly where I should be.

I was shocked when I read my prediction, not just because I'm not married, don't have kids, or make all the money in the world, but because I read word for word what I wanted to write my post about.

It reads "The best things in life depend on timing and personality." So, part of this post I've been waiting to write is about how I don't believe in "everything happens for a reason." BUT I believe that the timing of everything happens for a reason. To some of you, you probably think that sounds the same. When people tell you everything happens for a reason it's a way of comforting you and trying to make sense of what has happened.

Working and being surrounded by cancer patients is a huge wake up call. I mean, can you imagine telling them that everything happens for a reason? "It's making you so much stronger," people say. Yes, it does make you stronger, but it also makes you weaker. For those who are lucky enough to survive, they might think you're right. But the ones who don't make it? For their families? I wouldn't dare tell someone their family member lost the battle for a "reason." Yes, I believe in God and I believe He has a plan for everyone. But what He can't control is our health. He is there to guide us and give us faith, but He cannot change physical things about ourselves and the world we live in. That would be pretty awesome if He could, but what lessons would we learn if we were given everything we wanted?

I believe in the timing of everything. Let's take a sequence of bad events. For example.... About 4 years ago my grandma passed away. A month or two later, my uncle was diagnosed with cancer and the diagnosis didn't look good. A few months after that, my grandpa passed away. A few months after that, my uncle with cancer passed away. The week of his service, another uncle wasn't feeling well. He had cancer 10 years before that. He fought like hell that round and made it out on top. But he knew something wasn't right. Cancer was back. How could that be? A year later he passed away. The month he passed away, his daughter was diagnosed with cancer.

So, writing this down in words seems a little insane. And yes, it was insane. BUT the sequence of events makes sense. Not the events itself. Grandma and grandpa passed away first, which saved them the pain of losing their children. The first uncle decided to fight the "C" word so he could buy some time with his loved ones. He chose quantity. The next uncle decided against the treatment because he had already gone through it before, then watched his brother suffer through it. He chose quality over quantity. And lastly, my cousin who was diagnosed when her dad passed away. My gosh. I can't even imagine that happening. I still can't. BUT... She fought it and kicked its ass. She made it out on top.

10 years ago I wrote "The best things in life depend on timing and personality." Today? I would say it again, but add the best AND worst things.

The second part of what I wrote said "What is a horrible day for one, might be the best day for another." This doesn't make your worst days unimportant, it's just something to acknowledge.

I saw a quote this week that I wish could be posted on each of our foreheads.

"The things you take for granted, someone else is praying for."

Do the best you can and do it with all you've got. So that when these shitstorm life events happen, we can safely say we did all we could.

Rude Awakenings

Some of you may have seen the story on my Facebook status last week about the perverted international phone call I received..... 9 times. For those who didn't, here it is.

My phone started ringing and it was an 11 digit phone number, normally I wouldn't answer, but my mom had been in Europe the last few weeks, so I thought maybe it was her.

Unless my mom turned into a perverted Spanish speaking man, it wasn't her. I was trying to ask what he wanted or why he called, but he began making some sick noises, so I hung up. I turned to tell my roommates about it and they said "What if its something with your mom!" But I said I didn't think that's what was going on, but that maybe someone was pranking me.

The next day at 6:00 AM, he called. I answered to hear the same nasty stuff he was saying before, and told him to stop calling. He called again. I answered and said a big F.U. And hung up. He then called 7 MORE TIMES!!! The last time I answered, I rambled off a bunch of horrible things and gave up.

This phone call was really a very sour way to start my day. When I told my sister I said I was worried something happened to mom she told me she had a missed call from her in the middle of the night, with a 2 minute message of background noise. Okay... Then I started to worry again. I called my mom and she was alive and had not kidnapped by some pervert... Big sigh of relief. Since I didn't want to chance of being harassed again, I called Verizon to have them block the number.

Verizon: Was it a telemarketer?

Me: No, it was an 11 digit number, Spanish speaking man... Trying to have phone sex

Verizon: OH! OH MY GOSH I'M SO SORRY!

Me: Yeah, it was pretty creepy.

Verizon: Well, we will block the number, it's a Mexico number. Did you have anyone home who speaks Spanish who could tell him you'll call the cops?

Me: No, but I said a universal saying I am quite sure he understood.

Verizon: HA! Okay, we'll its taken care of, thanks for calling.

Awesome. That was a weird and rude awakening, but it's settled.

Until last night.

As I have mentioned before, I have wacky and wild dreams that can be VERY VIVID. So this morning, before I could get myself to write this post, I text my roommate to ask "Did that really happen last night or was I dreaming? I'm totally serious." And when she wrote back she said "Yes hahaha it really did happen!!!"

SO... Yay for not being crazy.

It was 2:30 AM, I was half asleep/ half dreaming and could swear I heard knocking at the door. I got out of bed, and as weird as this is (mom don't kill me for having candy in the middle of the night) , I grabbed some mike and Ike's and went to go see if someone was in fact knocking (surely I am hearing things). The second I grabbed the mike and Ike's, the doorbell rang, and following that was VERY loud knocking.

I literally threw the mike and Ike's up in the air and all over the floor. I opened my curtains to peek out at who was out there, I saw a red car and a cop car, and two officers. Oh shit. When I headed for the door, I checked through the blinds a second time, to see if they had some weird person with them at the door.

I looked up the stairwell, hoping to God my roommates heard it, too, and were coming down to help me. I saw Kate and she pointed and whisper screamed "It's the cops!!!" While I essentially did the same thing to her.

I opened the door to face the officers.

"Hi there, is "___name____" here?"

"Ummm no..." (Trying to keep my head on straight, while pushing my heart back INSIDE my body. I'm pretty sure they could see it thumping through my pajamas, along with Kate's)

"Okay, sorry to scare and bother you, we're just going by the address we have."

I then started to think a bit more clearly and told the officers the woman they were looking for used to live here, we get her mail from time to time, but we've been here 2 years now.

The (smirking) officers apologized again for the bother and we shut the door. And as I shut the door I told my roommates I couldn't feel my arms. They both dropped to the floor and said they couldn't feel their legs. We all began laughing hysterically. So hard we were all crying and laughing silently. We sat on the floor of the entry way and laughed about the site we must've been for the officers at 2:30 AM. Between the confusion, awful pajamas, deer in headlights look, and clearly trembling girls scared out of their mind, I think we provided them with some laughs as they went on with their duty.

We sat and discussed why we each thought the cops were there and why they might be after the woman who used to live in our condo. All three of us mentioned the smirks on their faces when the three of us piled in the door jam waiting to be questioned. We don't know why the red car was there, maybe undercover? I didn't notice these small details, but my roommates noticed the cop car was from the sheriffs department and one of the men had on a fire department jacket.

I haven't the slightest idea what the heck was going on this morning. But I hoping that rude awakenings don't come in threes.