Life in perspective

I went and volunteered at Primary Children's Hospital today. After my Institute class at the U, a few of the Phi girls were going over, and invited me to join them. So we practiced some Primary Songs, and some Brighton Girls Camp songs, and then we headed over there. We went and met 11 year old, Kaliee and her mom and dad, and we played the songs. 

Afterward, we heard about what had happened. Kaliee was swinging on a hammock, which was suspended from hollow, brick pillars. The pillars collapsed, and the bricks came down on Kaliee's head, giving her a traumatic injury to her brain, which left her paralyzed from the neck down. She was an athlete, played the piano... and all that has been taken from her. She has a really hard time speaking... she can form the words in a whisper, but she can't get the sound out yet. Everything has been taken from her, and her life hasn't really even started yet. But the amazing thing is... she was so positive. She is sad that she can't play sports, or the piano anymore... but she loves to sing, and she's focusing on that. And it made me realize... yes, I have a torn ACL. Yes, wearing that brace sucks. But I complain about it constantly. How I can't play softball for a season. How I can't go up and down stairs like normal. How I can't get in and out of a car like normal. How the brace is uncomfortable, how I'm missing ski season... She's never going to recover from this. She is paralyzed for the rest of her life. And I'm in recovery for the next 6-12 months. She's not complaining. And that's all I've been able to do for the last 2 days. 

She put my life into perspective real quick. Life is so short... too short for her. She deserves better, and I'm going to keep going to see her. She's amazing.

And on another happy note, I have been made an honorary member of the Phi Chapter of Lambda Delta Sigma. pretty awesome if you ask me :) It pretty much made my whole day. Because I was going to rush with them this fall, but because they closed the organization, I won't be able to. So Michelle, the closing president, has made me an honorary member. And its awesome. :) I belong to something.