Sometimes you have to appreciate what you have

December is always tricky for me. I get very busy at work, my online sales take a huge boost, and I get to look back at a handful of tragedies that have hit close to home.
This past week, I remembered a young man who I had been close to many years ago that passed away 2 years ago December 14. It was 5 days after his 21st birthday. I had not seen him since he was 16 when we moved away, and the next time I saw him was as he laid in the chapel 2 years ago.
Nothing can prepare you for seeing the body of someone you loved and helped raise for several years of his life. I could not speak, shed a tear, or smile after seeing him all the way on the 3 hour drive home. I could barely breathe for about 5 minutes after seeing him. Life gets in the way sometimes, and sometimes you can't control anything but how you react to it. As the last 2 years have passed, I have learned that this affected me profoundly, and the way I look at life was forever changed.
All life is precious, and the life we have is the only one we are guaranteed. If you are not happy with your situation, make a small change that makes you happy every week until you are happy every day. I promise, it works, even if it is small. When you make these little changes, maybe just waking up 5 minutes earlier to sit outside for a few minutes and breathe fresh air, your life will change. When you change the way you look at life, your life changes.
Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Glorious Kwanzaa, and today, Happy Solstice.

Here's a tune to take you out, Ghosts of Days Gone By - by Alter Bridge.