Today it is NOT all right with the world...

The thrill is gone. Or thriller. OK, so I just heard the news that Michael Jackson died today. As did Farah Fawcett. What is the deal with these '70's icons leaving us?? I heard about Farah first. No surprise, as she's been battling cancer for so long. But Michael Jackson? Ouch.

I was already in a sad/bad mood. Up at 5am today to leave at 6 to drive to USM. It was "Preview" day for transfer students, and Joe and I were registered. He was to have gotten his student ID today, registered for classes, gone on a tour of campus...but all that was a no-go. Seems his partying ways during his freshman year of college hurt his grade point average more than his good grades at Holmes Community College last semester could repair. So, no cheerleading on the sidelines at USM...it was heartbreaking to see him so disappointed. I was disappointed too.

But we went outside and found a quiet spot and talked about it. We both thought of Nicole, who is in a situation she did not plan for herself. But it is what it is, and she is working hard to reach her immediate goal of simply walking. And here Joe is, able to walk, run, jump...and all he wants to do is go to USM. So, like Nicole, he, too, has to make up his mind to move forward. He must do what it takes to get his grades up so he can go to USM. And as we talked, I saw a determination well up within Joe that I've not seen before. He asked if we could drive straight to Holmes and register for summer school. And that's exactly what we did.

We are sad, but accepting. And if we've learned nothing else from Nicole's accident, we've learned that things happen in God's time, not our own. It simply isn't time for Joe to be at USM. God must have another plan for him right now.

As I clicked around on the internet today, reading about Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett, I ran across the most wonderful quote that seemed so appropriate to our situation:

"Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it is too late. Today, this hour, this minute is the day, the hour, the minute for each of us to sense the fact that life is good, with all of its trials and troubles, and perhaps more interesting because of them."

Robert R. Updegraff
Author of "Be Thankful For Your Troubles"

So, as I try to digest this new turn of events, I am going to search for the happiness in it all. We can't wait for Joe to be on the sidelines at USM cheering for the Golden Eagles to be happy. We must find happiness in what's happening now. I am happy I have Joe home with me for another year...(so what if my nest may not be empty for awhile...), and Nicole's here too. And Larry and I get to enjoy both our our children during a time in their lives when most kids are long gone. So like the quote says, "life is good, with all its trials and troubles, and perhaps more interesting because of them." I know it's been more interesting because of Nicole's. I'm sure there will be some pretty interesting moments in the months to come with Joe...because for him, the thrill is not gone!

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan