Lessons Learned

My sweet little girl has taught me many lessons.  Here are just a few little lessons she has left me with.

1.    Life doesn't go as planned.  So I need to stop planning each little detail of our life and sit back and enjoy the ride. 

2.   There are just some things that are simply out of our control. No matter how much you pray, how much you wish on shooting stars or how determined you are, sometimes you have to sit back and put it into God's hands.

3.   Even when you don't think you can keep going on, somehow you still do.  We are all stronger than we ever thought we could be.  Looking back over the last two years I see how much this experience has changed us and how we have gotten so much stronger.

4.  We regret more about the things we didn't do than the things we did do.  I have learned to take more risks and do things I believe in because I don't want to look back on my life and think I should have followed that dream.

5.  I have learned that it is not what you have in your life but who is in your life that really matters. I am reminded by this every day when I look at my husband and remember my sweet Ella.

6.  Life is a journey full of obstacles.  We will have challenges along the way but I need to use these experiences to help make me a better person. If life was perfect we would never have a chance to find ourselves.

7.   Live your life how you want to live it, not how people want you to live your life. Never follow the traveled path, because it will take you where others have been. I tend to do what others sometimes expect of me and have learned that sometimes we all need to find a new path.  Probably the least expected way.  Luckily our new path lead us to Ella's Halo.

8.   Enjoy life because we might not have the chance to do it tomorrow. Life's too short. Live everyday to the fullest, laugh when you can, and love with your whole heart.  Ella taught us that you just never know when your last day will be so live everyday like there might not be a tomorrow. 

9.  Every day may not be good, but there's something good in each day. It is okay to have a bad day but don't forget to look for the little things that make each day a little better.  Twinkling stars, a singing husband, warm coffee, or a pink sunset.  I have learned to look for these sweet little things each day.

10.  Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. Ella left me with a passion to help others.  I may not be able to change the world, but knowing we are helping one baby or one family in the NICU is the something I need.