I'd like you to take a minute and think about something for me. At what moment in your life did you start to see the little things and become thankful for them? What did it take to open your eyes to the world around? I would love to believe that for some they are naturally capable of knowing the value of things that most of us take for granted. I hate admitting that I am definitely not one of these people. It's taken major life events or tragedies for not only my heart, but for my eyes to see more than just the surface of things.

January 12, 2015 was the start of my second semester of college, but that will not be why I remember that day. Around 8:30 that night my dad sent me a text, Don't be alarmed, but we are talking your brother to the hospital. LOL, okay Dad, sure. Easy to say when you aren't two hours away without a clue what in the world is going on. My brother had been pretty sick when I left Sunday afternoon so, I thought maybe he was dehydrated or had spiked fever and needed medical attention. It wouldn't be until almost 3 hours later that I'd finally find out why my little brother had been so sick. Carter was diagnosed that night with Type 1 Diabetes. For those of you who are unaware this is an auto-immune disease that currently has no cure. His immune system attacked his beta cells causing his pancreas to stop producing insulin and his blood sugar to spike to over 800. The typical blood sugar range is 70-120, so Carter was in extreme danger.

People are very unaware of the symptoms for Type 1, so here are some of the major ones to help possibly save your child's life: very rapid weight loss (Carter lost 17 pounds in 3 days), extreme weakness/tiredness, extreme thirst, increased urination, vomiting, mood changes, blurry vision, menstruation changes in females, rapid heart rate, and a low body temperature (97 degrees F). I want everyone to be aware that when these symptoms have been reached the body is very sick and will begin to shut down if it's not treated. Parents, NEVER be afraid to get a second opinion or ask for the doctors to test urine or blood if you feel that it could give you answers. A simple blood test is what saved my brother's life.

Now, I don't want this article to focus on Type 1 Diabetes, though I do hope some awareness is made. I hope you decide to dig deeper into what it's about and maybe save the life of someone around you or be aware of what is out there. What I really want to talk about is how the next weeks, months and now year and half has gone for me after the night my family's world was changed. The doctors told us that if my parents had waited even an hour more Carter would have been in a coma and most likely died. That is when real life slapped me in the face. The bratty kid that I barely gave the time of day could have been gone forever.... But thankfully he wasn't. Though, now some of his younger years will be altered because he has to grow up in ways many of us have never imagined.

I was knocked off my high horse in thinking my family couldn't be touched by life's cruel hand. As I lay face up in the dirt questioning life I then noticed how brightly the stars were shining. They seemed to light up the sky in ways that only God could intend for them to. I noticed that if I listened close enough I could hear the owl from the oak tree calling into the dark night. I realized that for the first time I wasn't thinking about everything in my mind, but instead about everything around me. I like to think that the wave of calm that came over me was someone who I had forgotten about, giving me a quick reminder He was there.. I believe it was God.

I had never been one to pray a whole lot, but in that moment I prayed for hours that he would lay his hands on my family. In the coming days I found myself praying for everything- if a cop sped past I prayed that he would return to his family safe that night, if an animal was dead on the side of the road I prayed it had gone quickly and felt no pain. I honestly prayed over a glass of milk I spilled on my desk. Ridiculous, most definitely, but prayer was the only place I felt safe. I think it was then that I realized how much of life I was taking for granted.

I took for granted the ability to shove food in my face whenever I please without having eyes watching me wishing they could do the same without needing to be stuck by a needle. I took for granted the family around me that keep me strong when I was scared to death of what lay ahead. I took for granted how in an instant something so constant in my life could just disappear if He thought it was time. A tragedy made me appreciate reality and all it had to give. I wish it hadn't taken me almost losing one of the people who mean the most to me for me to see what this life has to give and begin to understand that there really is beauty in every little place, you just have to be looking for it.

They say tragedy is earth shattering and they most definitely aren't wrong. But if you read the fine print at the bottom of the page you'll see that life gives you the 5 Steps you need for putting things back together.

Step 1. Grab on to the ones around you. It's easier to have more than two hands and two eyes to search and grab all of the little pieces.

Step 2. You'll need a good glue, the recommended kind contains 50% love and 50% faith in a new beginning.

Step 3. Turn the pieces into a stain glass window. One that depicts what's in your heart after what you've faced.

Step 4. Place your masterpiece where the right amount of light will shine threw.

Step 5. This is the final step and most important. Stand in the light, you deserve bask in the glow in something so beautifully made. Mostly because you'll find the beauty in every little detail.

So, did you figure out when you first really opened your eyes to the world? If not, don't worry about it. Just look a little closer, maybe you could read the fine print of your story. Not everyone's 5 Steps are the same and some seem to find them quicker than the rest of us.