Inspiration for the Long Haul!

I have been listening to this song since the album came out this past fall.  Mike put the album, Incredible Machine, on my ipod and I played it over and over on those long runs.  It made me think so many times and wonder who it is that Jennifer and Kristian were trying to communicate this message to.  After awhile, it no longer mattered, because they had spoken directly to me!

I have been a HUGE Sugarland fan since the first time I heard Jennifer's pipes belt across the radio waves.  Her quirky accent intrigued me and the messages they brought through their music always made me stop and think.  I was able to experience them at Country USA the weekend I got sick with SJS.  Kind of hard to think about now, but only days later I would be fighting for my life instead of jamming at a concert!  They played on that opening night and I was sure life couldn't get much better!  I think I sang so much and so loud that I was hoarse the next day, but I didn't care.

Mike told me that my friend, Carrie, who was with us that weekend bought their latest cd and gave it to Mike for me.  During the months that I was unconscious, Mike played that cd over and over again for me.  And when I finally was out of the fog of the medications and  awake again, I asked the nurses to play it for me to help calm my intense anxiety attacks.  It may sound weird, but Sugarland has done more for me than just make great music.

And now, they have done it again.  They're asking me to stand up for what I am passionate about.  To use my voice to educate others on what I already know so that maybe we can prevent this from happening to someone else.  To all of my Survivor friends, this is our anthem!  We don't always have great days and nearly all of us have limitations from this illness, but you and I know we can still Stand Up!  We can all use our voices!  Maybe, just maybe that is why God spared us.  Maybe that is why we endure what we do every day, because that is what we are supposed to do!

Won't you stand with me?