Focus on Gratitude

by Dotti

Hi, Friend! How are you today?

How often do we ask that and how often do we hear it? My usual response … even when it’s not totally truthful is, “I’m well, thanks!”

Life has been good to me. My husband and I have been extraordinarily fortunate to have had few health problems in our almost 41 years of marriage. We’ve had a few broken bones but all survivable. So why am I thinking so much about health today?

About three weeks ago, I came down with an upper respiratory “thing”; about a week later my husband got it. In typical fashion, I didn’t slow down, kept right on pushing. It turns out this “thing” is the most persistent bug I’ve ever seen in my life. Here we are, weeks later, still sounding like Typhoid Mary and Typhoid Tommy. Finally, last weekend, I decided to do a whole lot of nothing.

That got me thinking. First:  “Why do we women do this?” We get sick and we keep plugging along, not taking care of ourselves but making sure we care for all those around us. So I ask you - why do we do this? Do you know? Maybe that’s a topic for another day …

My next line of thought led me to write this post. We have been blessed and I am constantly aware of those around me who have not been so similarly blessed and to each of you I send thoughts of strength and healing. I know some of you, or your family members have serious chronic conditions that you deal with daily and my heart goes out to you. But also I have no right to whine about a lousy, stubborn head cold. Seriously. I know. Let me tell you how I learned this lesson.

Not long after I started a new job, my then 8-year old daughter got pneumonia. My husband drove 3 hours to fetch his elderly mother to come stay with our daughter because I didn’t have enough sick days or vacation days accrued (and at that time it was unheard of for a father to stay home).

When I returned to work, a co-worker asked how my daughter was doing. I got all choked up, and said she was coming along slowly. Then I commented that I didn’t know how parents with seriously ill children dealt with it day in and day out.

 My co-worker got a funny look on her face, mumbled something and walked away. A few weeks later, I found out why. Her oldest child, then in his 20’s, was born with severe brain damage and had been bedridden since the age of 4. 

Way to go, Dotti! Open mouth, insert foot. I’m sure that friend has long since forgotten that brief conversation but I haven’t. It turned out to be a real epiphany for me, a reminder of how blessed we have been which brings me to the reason for my focus on gratitude for today. I am grateful for good health. (Knocking on wood.)

What about you? What’s on  your gratitude list today? And by the way … how are you ... really?

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