Two Fathers; Two Tragedies - Count Your Blessings

"Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one."
- John Lennon, Imagine

It ceases to amaze me at the types of minute "problems" that people complain about. For instance, losing a $5 bill when you still have a $20 bill in your wallet (and lots of money in the bank). Yes, it's a bummer that you no longer have an extra $5 in your wallet, but really, it's not that big of a deal. There's no need to lament about it like the world is going to end.

Let me give you two examples of things that just happened that one has every right to consider a big deal:

As you probably know, on Friday, parts of the world were hit were a big snow storm. This storm caused traffic delays, accidents and even a few deaths. One of those was the death of an 11-year-old boy, in Massachusetts.

The boy and his father got their car stuck in a snow bank. The boy tried to help his father shovel the snow, but got cold. To warm up, he went inside the car and his father started the vehicle for him. Unfortunately, the exhaust was covered in snow, which caused the fumes to enter the car. This resulted in the boy becoming overwhelmed by the fumes. He eventually died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

(Read more here: http://www.globalmontreal.com/world/boy+sitting+in+running+car+dies+from+carbon+monoxide+was+helping+dad+shovel+snow/6442806195/story.html).

Meanwhile, in Manitoba on Sunday, a father took his two sons and their (nine-year-old) friend, Dawson Pentecost, for up for a flight in his Cessna 210. Later that afternoon, Dave Pentecost, the father of the young boy and a volunteer firefighter, received a call that a plane had crashed. He was the first one to respond to the wreckage. There he found all on board dead, including his own son.

(Read more here: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/02/11/man_three_boys_killed_in_manitoba_plane_crash.html).

In both of these tragic stories, a father has lost his son. Not only that, but both fathers will possibly spend the rest of their lives blaming themselves for the tragedy. In the first, the father thought he was doing the right thing; warming up the car for his son. In the second, the father had complete faith in the pilot (and his friend) and never thought something as horrible as (the plane crashing) could happen.

As a parent, you believe that your child should never die before you do. I can't possibly try to understand the pain that these fathers are going through at this moment.

To make matters worse, the pilot who passed away in the crash, was a single father. He leaves behind a daughter. His daughter has now, not just lost her only parent, but her only siblings as well.

Tragedies like these make you seriously count each one of your own blessings. I hope it makes people think twice about their own complaints within their lives. Is it really the end of the world that your brother took the last slice of cake? You really want that new game that just came out, but you can't afford it. Is your world really going to end if you have to wait to buy it?

Everyone needs to vent sometimes. I get that (and that's fine). But there's a difference between venting (and then letting it go) and constantly complaining about something that you should just let go of. Moreover, if someone is happy with what they're doing, don't tell them how to live their life. Just because you think it's wrong, doesn't mean it is. If they're not hurting anyone and they're happy, then why does it matter so much to you? If that person has come to you and said they want your help (or just complained about being unhappy), that's different. If their happiness is the result of something dangerous, such as an alcohol or drug addiction, then definitely step in. If they aren't hurting themselves though (or those around them) or have asked you for help, then let them be.

Find happiness in everyday. After all, you only get one shot at life. Let it be a good one.