GRATEFUL

I'm sometimes reminded how tenuous life can be. How easy it is to take for granted our health, our lifestyle and well being. Certainly the current state of the economy and friends who have lost their jobs are a poignant reminder that life can change on a dime. But I'm not one to live in fear of what tomorrow might bring and in a funny kind of way the unknown is exhilarating and full of possibilities. This week has given me a glimpse into "the dark side of the force" as my Star Wars obsessed son would say. And although it can sometimes seem gloomy...it tends to bring a healthy dose of GRATEFUL to my life.

On Friday I took a group of school kids to deliver Meals on Wheels. We are given a prescribed route and deliver meals to the elderly or disabled on that route. Most of the people we deliver to live well below the poverty line and I am always shocked to see how some people in our own community live. The conditions one lady in particular lived in left me completely speechless. The children were shocked into silence all the way back to school. But as shocking as her circumstances were there is something comforting in the thought that someone is checking on her and delivering a meal to her every day. In comparison my life is luxurious even extravagant. I admit I felt a little guilty...but mostly I felt GRATEFUL.

This last weekend my husband and some buddies headed off for a long weekend of camping. On Friday night around 10:00pm I get a phone call from him...there's been an accident...you know that awful knot that forms in the pit of your stomach. Apparently they were out on their ATVs and one of his buddies had tumbled off a hillside, his ATV rolling over him and he ended up in a thicket of bushes. The medi-vac helicopter was called in and the poor guy was ferried off to Sacred Heart hospital with 6 broken ribs, a punctured lung and suspected neck injuries. It could just have easily been my husband instead of someone else's. The accident could have been much worse. GRATEFUL.

Another reminder. Today after feeling unwell for the last few days I called my doctor to make an appointment. I described my weird, funky symptoms over the phone.....heartburn, tingling in my left hand, tightness in my chest. He sent me straight to the ER suspecting I was having some kind of cardiac problem. On a positive note...all my tests came back fine, but after sitting half naked in one of those awful backless gowns and listening and watching all the craziness that is part of every ER across the country I found myself feeling so thankful for my wonderful life....the good, the bad and the ugly of it...it's all a good life. GRATEFUL.