How Lucky Are We

I was reminded by a comment Salene left in the 'Update on Ronny' post. She said:

"we are the luckiest family i know. very fortunate and protected."

That statement is, pardon the pun, dead-on.

We are truly the most fortunate family I know. There are over 100 of us, and we defy the percentages that say we should have been hit with tragedy at least dozens of times. The population of California, the US, and the world sees heartache more than we do-- by far.

Though we have lost loved ones, they left us with indelible marks of love, respect, and an assurance in their goodness. By whatever means-- Gramma Connie's prayers and God's protection, knowledge to take caution and care, or by pure chance and happenstance-- we have been proven fortunate.

Just in case you needed a story to accompany this, here's a little tidbit on one of us who happens to walk in the shadow of angels...

• Ronny is more lucky than we realize.

• When he was an adult for nary a couple years, he drove to work at 3am from Lompoc to the UPS center in Goleta. One morning, Ronny, tired from the odd hours, dozed off and fell asleep at the wheel. Word is he woke up on a stretcher, after his car overturned, and with Ronny thrown from the car.

• A few years later, when Ronny was working for a tree-trimming company, a bad combination of chain-saws, branches, and height caused him to fall. As his brother Matt tells it, he fell from the tree, onto the roof of the house. And then from the roof of the two-story house onto the ground below.

• As we know, Ronny was stabbed three times in an unprovoked attack just a few weeks ago.

• After all this, he is otherwise healthy. No lost limbs, he walks, and there's not much left besides a few scars to serve as a reminder.

I'd say we're lucky. And some of us are more luck than others.