I just watched the rerun of HIMYM season 6 on Star World, the episode where Lily got a false alarm and thought that she was pregnant and the whole group, upon learning the *false* news, were intrigued to re-evaluate their respective life.

When we hear a news (be it good or bad) from one of our relatives and/or friends, of course what comes first in our mind is to celebrate (or mourn, depending of the news) for the one from whom we hear the news. What comes after? We are left with ourselves, left to re-evaluate, left to question our own life. Making comparison would be inevitable; it happened to someone else, how about me? What has happened to my life, what would probably happen?

Today, just this morning, I had to learn a very, very unpleasant news from one of my closest friend; the passing away of her father.
I have never encountered such an experience like death of a close relative, so everytime I hear news like this I'd just be taken aback. Totally clueless of what to do, totally strange to such feeling. But just hearing such a news, it's like taking a bitter pill. It leaves a really, really bitter taste in my mouth and never really disappear. It still feels bitter even right now.
To hear such an unexpected news, to be suddenly attacked with feelings I am still strange of, of course it really forces me to re-evaluate myself, my own life.

In a sense, aren't we really fortunate that every now and then, things that happen to people around us really do work like an alarm that gives us the opportunity to evaluate ourselves? 

Taking a really, really egocentric approach of life, it is really possible that all that happens around us is signs and clues that God has kindly given to us. Some obvious as day, some very subtle. Some come in a good way, some leave bitter taste in our mouth. But isn't God so forgiving to give us the opportunity to learn and to understand beforehand, and gives us just enough hints so we won't walk blindly in this life? Life is something big and largely unknown, but we have so many things, so many people to reflect upon, to whom we make comparisons, to which we do evaluation. In a sense, we are so, so fortunate, aren't we?