jaycee dugard, amazing.

growing up, i remember hearing the name jaycee dugard and i knew she was missing.  that was all i knew. i also knew that if you are missing, it is never a good thing and after eighteen years of not being scene, the chances that you are alive, is more likely that not slim.

friday afternoon, i downloaded her new autobiography to my kindle, i was curious to know what she went through and wanted to read it first hand.

beautiful. survivor. incredible.

as i read, i kept thinking to myself, ashamed that i would even have the nerve to say the words out loud "i'm having a bad day!" because i have never had a day ever, ever like the days, months and years of bad days she experienced that formed her life.  i am the first to say when comparing issues, "oh it's all relative." but it's not.  

as i sit and type this in an air conditioned house, after just eating the food i chose and feeding the children i nanny for the food they wanted and could afford to buy them, after downloading her book on my kindle which my husband gave to me for a birthday gift and had the money in my checking account so i could get the book instantly, i am counting my blessings and feeling so very selfish for ever uttering the words "i am having a bad day." or anything else less than "i am so blessed to have a wonderful life."

if i met jaycee, i would be speechless at the woman that she became out of chaos.  last night (perfect timing), the diane sawyer special was on where she interviewed jaycee.  what a composed woman, a woman who did not get to decide the choices her life held, but now can make all the decisions for she and her children.  i hope that life from here on out life treats her kind and she has all she dreams of...in the words of dolly parton.

be thankful for the everyday.  because somewhere out there, some one has it worse than you do.  much worse.

if you are reading this on a phone or a computer, i am betting you are pretty blessed.  blessed...i need to remember that more often.

if this blog made it to jaycee, i would say to her :  you are incredible and a testimony of what it means to be a victor and overcomer.  then i would probably stutter and trip over my words and make some sort of awkward joke...and then go on with my aweness of her.

read her book.  get it today.  a stolen life by jaycee dugard.

(p.s.  i had written this on monday night but really felt like my words did not do her or her book justice, but then i realized...it never hurts me to be reminded even if the writing isn't as eloquent as i would like..."oh yeah, i am so blessed, because too often i forget)


some quotes from a stolen life:

yes, i do believe i'm lucky.  i could not have gotten through my ordeal without believing that someday my life would make sense.  life's adventure is important.  it is important to live each day to the fullest, whatever life brings you.

while i was there i would tell myself it could be worse; there are so many people in the world in worse situations than mine.  at least i had a place to live.

when i don't dare think, i dare to dream.

my baby girl came into the world at 4:35 am, august 18, 1994.  i am fourteen years old and very, very scared.

one of jaycee's dreams for the future while she was a prisoner was to write a best seller, let's do this for her.

hooray for monday!

i just got finished reading jaycee dugards autobiography.  i am overwhelmed and speechless at the courage of this lady.  to live and SURVIVE in the hand life gave her for eighteen years says a lot about the human spirit and, especially about her spirit.  it's a must read.  it will challenge you to be more thankful for the everyday.

speaking of the every day, i had the children over the weekend while their parents enjoyed some time away.  their grandmother took each of the twins for an over night stay for some one on one time and i was left with the other and lil bit for our own special time.  the first little fella, lil bit and i went to swim with our best nine year old girlfriend.

lil bit discovered with much prompting and encouraging that it was, in fact, the greatest thing ever to push people in the water.  so for a good thirty minutes this was the scene over and over and over again.

when we got home, it was bath time and she opened the potty and pulled her skirt up to "potty" just like her brothers do.  oh, potty training is going to a long one...

the next day was the other fellas turn and he wanted to make sure that whatever we did i did not do with his brother.  i suggested swimming, but was met with protest since i did that with his brother.  get an original idea, ms. jessica.

so we did cartwheels in the kitchen for a while.  i didn't do that with his brother.

we went on a walk, with lil bit and he even got to push the stroller.  i didn't do that with his brother.

and of course, we had to bring "blue" on our walk, then blue got thrown out of the stroller 254, 567, 509 times so i decided to carry it and the lullaby that played when you push its belly got stuck and it played the entire walk.  it was awesome.  

sunday, again on the mission to only do what his brother did not he decided he wanted (and i let him create his day) 

1.  books a million

2.  dollar tree

3.  target

and even though target was in the same shopping area, we went in that order complete with a pizza upon leaving target.  he thinks the pizzas at target are the best.  ever.  it's really a thrill when you say "hey, i will take you anywhere for a special lunch, where do you want to go???" and he says target.  really?  

all in all, it was a good weekend.  

after baths last night, we watered the flowers outside...and a little more too.

how was your weekend?