Perspective

My blog today is introducing my hero: Anne Marie Cox. The most beautiful girl on this planet! She has changed my life in so many ways, for the positive! I am spending my spring break with this princess.

Song of Songs 1:15
"How beautiful you are,
My darling, How beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.

Anne Marie is so beautiful. Not just on the outside but she truly radiates beauty from the inside that just shines from miles away.

I want to give you a little background of this princess. She was born with a skin condition called EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa). Blisters form all over her body. They are caused by friction to the skin, touch, from outside, and can form with no apparent cause. Its a journey for Anne Marie. Her baths take half a day. Its taking off all her bandages, popping blisters, sometimes cutting some of her infected skin off. She then soaks in bleach water for up to an hour. After she soaks and washes, then you pop more blisters, and then re wrap her. Its a long process but a much needed process. There are a lot of tears shed during this time. Its emotional and painful. I mean who wants to go through this? I selfishly don't! As of now there is no cure for this disease.

Things I've learned from Anne Marie:

1) Life isn't that bad for me. She goes through it each day! She's in pain daily and needs morphine to control it sometimes.

2) Anne maybe in alot of pain but she finds JOY each day. She' always smiling and happy. Its like WHITNEY get ahold of your emotions, you have so much to be grateful for. Anne Marie is always happy. A little bossy :)

3) To enjoy life to the fullest! We aren't promised tomorrow so enjoy today and make the most of every opportunity.

4) Love people. Anne will come up to me numerous times a day just to say "I love you" or give me a hug. We all need this. Even if we aren't physical touch by nature we all need a hug on a occasion. Or to tell someone YOU LOVE THEM!!!

5) Help others. Anne is always trying to help me around the house or put things up. We are lazy beings here. I'm guilty. But help someone today. Whether that's listening to their issues, helping clean up a house, and encourage someone. We can help in so many ways. Anne Marie always wants to help. And guys sometimes her pain is so bad in her feet that she can barely walk and stand. She still wants to help!

6) Be kind to everyone you come in contact with. Anne Marie can be bossy but she accepts every kid and adult that comes into her life. How cool would it be if we ALL were accepting to others? I wish I was more kind and accepting as my sweet Anne Marie is.

Those are just a few of the things I've learned from Anne Marie. The Lord has blessed me over the past months because I have been able to learn from Anne Marie.

I want to leave you with a quote that Anne said yesterday as she was in the process of her bath and in pain: " One day when I get to heaven I will have a new body and not have blisters anymore"
This is an eight year old girl whose saying this. Broke my heart. Made me so sad. She yearns for a healed body. And I'm so guilty of not liking my body and being negative about it. But my body is able to do things that I take for granted.

I don't share all of this for you to feel guilty for how you act or live. But to put in perspective as it does for me on a daily basis walking life with Anne Marie. Makes my problems a lot smaller. Yes our issues are real and real to us. But lets daily be more thankful for the abilities we have. Anne Marie would love to have the abilities that we do! Pray for this sweet princess if you feel led!