In My Life

Though my life may seem small, short, and ordinary, I’ve seen things.

Irrational things.  Miraculous things.  Extraordinary things. 

Things that I didn’t want to see.  Things that I wish I hadn’t seen.

Things that I’m glad I saw.  Things that changed me.

I’ve seen a light in the sky that was not a star, a plane, the moon, the sun, or a planet.  It was a spotlight shone down for a few seconds, then gone.  A heavenly light switch flipped on, then off.

I’ve seen black smoke fill a house.

I’ve seen a face soften with one word, one tear, one small action.

I’ve seen a living thing die.  Our dog the day we decided to put her down instead of live the rest of her days with no treatment for her illness.

I’ve seen wounds heal over time, physical and emotional.

I’ve seen a crime happen.  A man who, while perusing the music selections in the store that I helped manage, slipped a Samantha Foxx CD out of its case and into the front of his pants so quickly that I almost doubted my own eyes.  He got away with Ms. Foxx.

I’ve seen a man gasp for breath on his next-to-last day on earth.

I’ve seen joy.  The face of my daughter on her birthday.  The smile of my son as I give him the go ahead to meet his friends.

I’ve seen injury.

I’ve seen violence.  A man punch another man in anger; siblings pull hair and pinch each other to tears.

I’ve seen love.

I’ve seen fear.

I’ve seen all of these things and more.  They are not destinations.  They are not goals.  They are things that happened, things that I just happened to catch while living this life.

You’ve probably seen them, too.