Sometimes I get busy with life and miss what’s happening in the world. That’s what happened last week. Right before getting into bed, I got this notification. My mother had tagged me on a Facebook message. This intrigued me because my mom rarely posts anything, and she never tags me. I checked out Facebook and saw this sweet post talking about her daughter. Then, I start scrolling through and realized my mom wasn’t the only one lifting up her daughter. It was National Daughter Day. Today is National Son Day. Who came up with this? But it is good to highlight these amazing people in our lives. I’m blessed with two amazing daughters and three wonderful sons! 

But as I read all those sweet, sweet posts about daughters and now about sons, I think about all those people that don’t have sons or daughters. I think about the people that don’t have parents. Maybe they have lost their parents or don’t have a life-giving relationship with them. These posts that are meant to bring joy in the lives of the reader, might cause pain in others. The pain of not having those relationships in their life can feel overwhelming. 

I propose that we start a new national day – a day called National Person-In-Your-Life Day! This is to highlight anyone in your life that has made a big impact. Who would that be in your life? Who has influenced you in a positive way? 

I’m blessed to have so many people in my life that have played a positive role in me getting to this place. My parents, my husband and lot of friends that I consider family. Each of those people play an important role in who I am. They have brought blessings to my life. 

When I think of two people who have shaped each other’s lives, I think of Ruth and Naomi. In the book of Ruth, we read about Ruth marrying into Naomi’s family. She is her daughter-in-law. There they find themselves both widowed, and they are traveling back to Naomi’s home country. Naomi pressed Ruth and her other daughter-in-law to go back to their father’s homes so maybe they could remarry and still have a family. Ruth’s response to this is, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17). 

Who are those people in your life that have been by your side through the thick and thin? Who will walk with you wherever you may go? Who has God blessed you with? 

Prayer: Lord God, as we travel through life, you have blessed us with so many people in our lives. But there are just one or two that will be there always and through anything. Thank you for these individuals. Help us to always acknowledge them as gifts in our lives. AMEN.