What's going on in the Universe?

Somewhere, Someone is asking me to be a teensy tinsy bit more grateful for all that I've got. And just for the record, I'm tryin', I really am!

But tonight, my heart is heavy thinking of two families who are not enjoying the blessings of 'generally doing okay'. One is a good friend from college, one is a total stranger that I encountered through a random click on a random link on a random blog.

I hope Melissa won't mind me giving her a shout out - she is a friend from Newbold who was just doing her thang down in Florida with her husband & 3 little ones (roughly the same ages as mine). All of a sudden, up pops health issue after health issue and ta da! She finds herself in open heart surgery today at the tender age of 30 [ahem] something. She and her little ones have been in my thoughts & prayers this week. The news is good this evening (thanks for the updates guys!) and I wish her a speedy recovery (before the next set of hurdles.)

Then there's Nienie. Read about her story here on her sister's blog: http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/2008/08/prayers-requested.html.
I guess the story caught my eye because of the last name (Nielson), and I read about the terrible plane crash she & her husband were in, and their four small kids, and the long road to recovery the two of them face............. and and and: here is a family that needs our thoughts/prayers/good wishes/karma in a very real way! She has a very cool blog, and there are tributes all over the place for the joy & courage she brings to other people through her very positive and affirming way of looking at the world. I guess the world is sending all those warm fuzzies back to her in her time of need.

Now I don't normally write in this vein, and I will admit to it feeling somewhat foreign, maybe uncomfortable? But there are 2 families tonight that need much, and I have much to give. That is a good & healthy thing to know.