It has been awhile since Tiff has updated her blog so I am taking it upon myself to write about something that
has truly touched Tiffany and myself. While browsing the Internet a few weeks back I came across a story that was heartbreaking as well as heart warming. I think it hit close to home with us because we could relate so much with this story that I had come across. I will spare you the details however in short it is basically about a couple, Jimmy & Jamie Moore, who were married June 11th 2011 (same day as our wedding) and are having to dealwith a life changing situation. There are several similarities with this couple and with Tiff and myself, almost a frightening amount. We were both married on June 11th, 2011, both from South Carolina, both have had a recent and a major challenge dealing with a spinal cord injury, both have spent time at Shepherd Center in Atlanta (Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Hospital), and both on the same hospital floor while at Shepherd Center which in turn we shared the same nurses, doctors, etc. We were at Shepherd from August 2010 to late September 2010 and Jimmy started there in August 2011 and they are currently still there. Jimmy was in a severe car accident in the upstate of South Carolina this year while working for a local news station in Greenville, SC. During the accident Jimmy suffered a spinal cord injury which forced Jimmy to undergo several operations in the hospital and to spend time at the Shepherd Center for rehab. In reading Jimmy's story that I just happened to come across it made me think a little. I found myself almost obsessed with their story and what they are having to endure. I sat there that night reading every journal update on their caring bridge website (
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimmymoore1)
and often times going back and re-reading the updates and breaking down. This couple had just begun their life journey together and now they are having to deal with a terrible hand that they were dealt. I found myself almost feeling guilty for "thinking" I had problems and complaints about what was going on in my life and our littleday to day troubles like getting up going to work, sitting in traffic, having to work so much, etc. It made me think our little day to day troubles are nothing, they are little mis-haps that we should not worry about and shouldnot spend time complaining about because there are people out there that are really dealing with bad situations and having to go through a hell of alot more than you and me. It made me think how much time we all waist worrying about things that are so un-important. "How am I going to get all this work done?", "When will I be able to get myself a new car?", "when am I going to get that big raise at work?", "How am I going to be able to afford the new I Phone so I fit in with my friends?" All of this is not important and all of this we all spend time worrying about and complaining and trying to "achieve" a certain status in society. I almost get mad just thinking about this and that I have been apart of the same culture that thought this way for so long. It is sad that a situation like Jimmy's had to slap me in the face to get me to realize all of this is so un-important and really does not matter. What really matters is helping people that are going through real challenges and are having to deal with real problems. Most of you like myself have a pretty easy life and when it comes down to it really don't have huge obstacles in our life that we have to deal with, we are very fortunate. We should be happy about this and not complaining and troubled over day to day non-sense that really does not matter. I know after reading Jimmy & Jamie's story I have found myself wanting to help more people who are really in need and wanting to encourage people who really have obstacles to over-come. I encourage you to visit Jimmy's sites and read his story about what they are having to go through and the challenges that Jimmy and Jamie have to endure. It really is a life changing not only for them but also for me, no longer will I worry about those deadlines at work, about trying to have that nice car because we need to fit in with friends, neighbors, etc., and about all of that non-sense. I am more encouraged to help people who are really in need and help people who really have challenges to endure.
Another observation that struck me when reading Jimmy's story is how luck Jimmy and myself are to have a loving wife who never wavered when faced with adversity. Solid as a rock.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimmymoore1
http://www.facebook.com/#!/jimmymoorefund
