Mutti Blu's: Wake Up, 8.11.21

After a busy couple of weeks, yesterday was a day that had to include some rest. It's not like me to plop down on the couch, mid-afternoon, and not move until early evening. But, yesterday, that is what I did. After watching a movie, I let the credits roll through (because, in our house, it's considered disrespectful if you don't 😆). Before I had a minute to choose something else, Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary began playing. I'm not a Luke Bryan fan (although, I am now) so I wondered why that queued up. Out of pure laziness, I just let it play. This post was not meant to be a movie review/summary, but let me just give you a short one.

This man, Luke Bryan, has been through more tragedy than anyone should have to endure. He is the youngest child of three and and ended up losing his brother, his sister, and his sister's husband by the time he was in his mid- thirties. Instead of being broken by the grief, he chose to live his life in a way that would make them proud- following his dream, staying close and connected to his family, and taking in his sister's three kids as his own. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching it. Truly inspiring.

I think his story really hit home for me, though, because there were quite a few similarities between his family and ours. 1.) Three children in his family, spaced apart almost exactly like my kids, and with the girl being the oldest with two younger boys. 2.) He was raised in a small, country is town, just as my kids were. And 3.) The tragic and sudden death of a loved one. (Although, he had to endure this three times, which I can't even wrap my head around.)

Of course (because this is how I'm wired), I believe that I was meant to watch this show (actually, I think it's a docu-series), at this specific time, as I've been feeling especially emotional after a really great weekend in Chicago, with two of my kids. I've been reflecting on how grateful I am for them and how lucky we are to have each other. And, now, I'm reminded by Luke Bryan's story, how important it is for families to help each other through really difficult times and to be grateful for every single moment of knowing the people you love are healthy, happy and safe and able to be a part of your life. Yeah, I know this is a celebrity story and other people go through similar situations, but for some reason this was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I'm hoping it does the same for whoever reads his. Because, obviously, time is not something you can get back.

I'll leave you with a few photos of my weekend and my kids, and one of Luke Bryan's songs that he wrote for his brother and sister.

(Now, I suggest you go watch the show and bring Kleenex!)