There is a moment in time when we all get tired of being in the same place…a place of negative feelings. At that moment when you rise up…a distraction will most likely find you. If you want more out of life, the challenges become greater. The distraction can be a person, place, or thing. This blog focuses on when it’s a person. Come back in time with me to the end of May 2015… I had just relocated back to NJ in April and things seemed to be going pretty well with the ex factor. He had made me several promises at the end of December 2014 and I agreed to leave the past in the past. Little did I know that a storm was brewing and the past would be the least of my problems. In end of May, I went to Vegas for 6 days and had a blast. I treat myself very well! You have to because if you don’t…who will? Before the trip everything was great. I couldn’t have been anymore in love and even though the ex factor had gotten laid off from his first career job in March…we seem to be going strong. Finally, we were in a place of peace. I went on my trip and barely heard from him except on my actual birthday. I know my travels were hard on him because I could be everywhere easily….that he couldn’t. The weekend I came back, he was very sick from a serious hang over. So instead of privately celebrating my birthday, I watched him grab his stomach and complain of pain all weekend. Earlier on the Saturday, before meeting up with the ex factor, my mind ran on two of my friends in Richmond, Hope and Michele. I called Hope and checked up on her. Hope’s job had become very stressful so we discussed ways she could reduce her stress. At the end of my conversation with Hope, I mentioned that I needed to call Michele and see how she was doing as she just had ankle surgery in May. Hope told me that Michele was having a hard time being on crutches, staying at home for weeks to heal from the surgery, and was having a hard time accepting anyone’s help. I told Hope that I would check in on Michele on Sunday…the next day. To this day, I don’t know why when I hung up with Hope that I didn’t call Michele right then and there. I will always regret not doing that. And so the weekend went on and I spent most of it watching the ex factor sleep or wake up in pain. To top it off, a bad storm had come through from the west so my parents were stuck in the Midwest and one of my cousin’s was being rerouted mid air from her California flight. So many distractions on that Sunday that I forgot to call Michele. On the Monday, I was going to group text Hope, Michele, and some of my other Richmond friends but once again forgot. Life is so weird. You think you have a million more moments with a person only to realize that the last time you saw them or heard from them…would really be the last time! That Thursday, Michele unexpectedly passed away and I was devastated. I replayed the entire weekend in my mind hundreds of times and I’m forever sorry that I didn’t just pick up the phone and call her when she was heavy on my mind. The world had distracted me and my heart would forever pay for it. I was so distracted with the ex factor that I missed the signs God was giving me that He was going to call my friend home. Distractions happen in life but when you are on the course of being a better person, try your best to stay focused. After Michele’s death, I emotionally fell apart. No matter how I tried to explain to the ex factor the pain I felt…he did not know how to be there for me. That June became the beginning of the end for the ex factor and I. I could no longer be the person I use to be and pretend I didn’t see the destruction surrounding us. Michele’s death gave me the strength to get focused and get rid of the unnecessary distractions in my life…like the ex factor. What distractions do you currently have in your life? What do you plan on doing to get focused? Starting this blog in September 2015, Michele’s birthday month, was the beginning of me getting my life on track. I hope and pray that I inspire you to do the same! ~KJM on Temptation Tuesday. May my words put movement in your heart, mind, and feet!
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