so I'm sitting at the kitchen table with my little boy Hunter.  He's having some sweet fizzy water with me and stealing my ice.  I'm chewing my way through my taxes for this year, working along diligently if grudgingly.

Then as I sit there idly bitching under my breath about my lot and all of life's hardships I come across, quite by accident, a question on the TurboTax pop up 'help' sidebar. 


"My daughter was born in March and lived only 9 days. Can I claim her as a dependent?



We have a birth certificate, social security number and death certificate -- she died after 9 days and never left the hospital. Do I claim her as a dependant?"

 
It broke my heart.  Both for the astonishing amount of pain all wrapped up in that little question and for the (as usual) lack of life perspective I walk around with on a daily basis.
 
I am amazingly, undeservedly fortunate and for today, at least, I will try to remember just how much.
 
peace and light all.
Jer