Tis the season... to jump on the bandwagon.

Fall Aspens. October 2010. Park City, Utah.

Everybody is doing it.  I might as well, too.  It's always good to remember just how good you have it and to take a chill pill on all of those so-called life stresses that get us so spun up.  Here is what I am grateful for... in no particular order.

1. My health, of course.  I ask my body to do some pretty tremendous things and it always responds with a resounding 'YES!'... I know that many years from now, it may respond with a 'Ugh. Sure.'
2. My husband. We fit together like 2 puzzle pieces and for that I am grateful.
3. My mind.  Continuing to learn and challenge your mind is a surefire way to keep synapses connecting, staving off Alzheimer's (it runs in my family... eeek.)
4. My family.  They put up with me.  'Nuff said.
5. Food in my cupboards and a roof over my head.  

I could go on and on because there really is SO MUCH to be thankful for this year... This week has been really stressful for us and it's only going to get worse as we near our M.D. (Move Date) next week.  At the end of the day when the stress seems never-ending... I remember days like these (or the blog listed below) and I realize just how lucky I am.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

 

perspective. (written November 2nd, 2006)

Current mood:sad

Most of us go about our lives worried about so many things... money, relationships, careers, school... the list goes on and on.  There are those brief moments, though, when we are snapped back to reality and "life" becomes crystal clear for a fleeting moment.... holding a newborn, sharing a moment with a loved one, watching the beauty of nature as the sun sets... again, this list goes on and on, too.  

I had one of those moments today but on a much larger scale.

Today I watched my 27 year old patient die from terminal cancer.  27 years old.  That's how old I am.  And he died.  Nothing puts life back into perspective faster than watching a person your own age die before your eyes... his family holding his hand as he took his last breaths.

In that crystal clear moment I realized how fleeting and precious life can be and how grateful I am for my health, my family, my friends, and for the things I consider to be problems in my life.  Suddenly those problems seem utterly unimportant and trivial.

Tonight I am taking a moment to be grateful for all that I have... and to remember this moment of clarity when my problems seemed insignificant... it's the least I can do to honor a person who was my age and is no longer living... and would take my problems in an instant to have his life back.