Pay Attention...

There are a lot of months throughout the year that bring awareness to something. October seems to be a very busy month. There is Fire Prevention week, Harvest Safety, Breast Cancer awareness, infant death and miscarriage. Many of us have had an experience with one or more of these topics. I personally have had experiences with a few of these. It is important to bring up all the things that can go wrong, and bring awareness to many issues. It’s a reminder to pay attention. Make sure all your smoke alarms are working, and have a plan on how to get out of the house, should there be a fire. During harvest, (every year) something happens at our house. One year there was an emergency trip to the dentist after a wrench slipped and almost knocked a tooth out. Another slip of the wrench the next year while fixing the combine, and we end up with a massive knot on the head. This year, someone stood up while under the stairs of the combine fixing it and ended up with an L shape cut on the top of the head. These injuries were fairly minor, but there have been many farm accidents that have resulted in death. Breast Cancer Awareness, has not been covered in this paper yet, but it will be. I have been fortunate enough to not have this in my family. I do, however, have dear friends that have had this fight. Two are currently winning, and one recently lost the battle. Infant death and miscarriage, I have experienced this first hand and it is rough. This one is more of a reminder to keep those Moms in mind, and realize the struggle behind pregnancy and birth. You can’t prevent this one, it just happens and rips your feet out from under you. Where am I going with all this? Pay attention, listen to your body, and trust your gut instinct. It’s usually right. If you smell smoke, find the source, get out. When you are harvesting, practice safety measures. Don’t wear loose clothing, be careful with wrenches, they get away from you. Watch your surroundings; they can’t see everything while inside these large pieces of equipment. Check yourself for lumps and abnormalities. Remember those who are struggling with loss, as the pain can cut deep. Like I said, these things all bring a reminder and an awareness about important topics. Don’t just stop there, pay attention. What is going on around you? Are your kids happy, or did they have a rough day and need to talk about it? If you are on a sports team, are you supporting and encouraging each other? If you are on a committee, are you truly thinking about how your decision will effect things? How are your friendships? Do you keep in touch? Ask how your friends are doing? Every relationship in your life, every detail needs attention. If you miss something, it could be detrimental. Stop and think about how you treat people, help your co-workers. Be kind, be respectful, pay attention. Don’t just be aware of all the bad things that can happen, either. When something good happens for someone, celebrate with them. Be happy for them, tell them how wonderful it is, and mean it. Life is not a competition. Don’t treat it like it is. Do everything you can to enjoy it, and be happy. Life is short, pay attention, be aware.