I woke up this morning and decided that I wasn't using my life properly. It just seems so much of it is a complete waste. I love to read, so why don't I read more? I love to write, so why don't I write more? I love taking pictures, so why don't I? I'm wasting so many moments and not showing enough love.

Recently, my family was turned upside down by a tragic event. And even though it happened over a month ago and things are on the mend, I'm just now realizing how fragile our lives really are. I never want to imagine that the ones dearest to my heart can be gone in a blink, but it can happen. I feel fortunate that it didn't but it was too close for comfort.

On March 4, my husband was hit by an IED while deployed to Iraq. I don't write much about us being a military family on my blog. Scratch that. I usually don't like to write about it, but I certainly have more this deployment. I think I try to pretend we aren't. When my husband and I got married 10 years ago, the military was not going to be part of our futures. After having our children he signed and we moved here to Fort Campbell. My eight year old has been able to identify the types of helicopters flying overhead since he was four. My daughter was a year old when we moved here and has watched her father come and go from year long deployments all her little life. We are the epitome of an army family, whether I like to admit it or not.

My husband is doing well now. He spent a month at Walter Reed getting his leg worked on and shrapnel removed from his body. He'll make a 100% recovery after months of physical therapy. But he is still here with us. He's sleeping in on this cloudy Saturday morning. I'm fortunate that at any moment I can get up from my computer and walk to my bedroom and kiss him on the cheek. My life was shaken but it wasn't taken away. For that, I am thankful and reflective. I am ready to stop wasting my days.