Acknowledging the Simple Blessings of Life

On Memorial Day, I went for a walk.  It was a gorgeous day.  The sky was blue, the air was warm, the flowers were blooming.

It was a good day to be alive!

I've been struggling for the past three months.  I have been sick.  No, I don't really know what it is.  I went to the doctor several times, was put on three different antibiotics, and a course of steroids (to bring the coughing under control enough so I would stop throwing up. Yeah, fun times).  Still no improvement.  I've had every bit of advice thrown my way, from "oh, it's probably just allergies." (Um, NO.  It's not.), to "You should really be using X, Y, and Z essential oils.  You'd be cured in a matter of days." (Not a fan.  I had a student a couple of years ago whose mother was convinced could study and learn better if DOUSED in essential oils daily.  Yeah, the rest of us had massive headaches from the overpowering aroma until the principal put his foot down and told the mother it was too much.  And, no, the oils DID NOT make her smarter.)  I wish I could tell people just how very unhelpful their armchair doctoring is to me.  I don't mind sympathy, I don't need amateur doctors.

The real doc thinks it is bronchitis, but I've never heard of bronchitis sticking around for this long.  He insists it's not pneumonia, so there's that.  For what it's worth.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, life goes on much as you'd expect with mostly grown kids.  Late night worrying and late-teen temptations and frustrations being what they are, I never quite get enough sleep.  Also, the stress of being the mom has gifted me with an impressive collection of acne smattered across my chin.  So sexy in a 40 something year old.

So, you can see what a gift that beautiful day was to me.  As I was walking the neighborhood, I reflected that I really do live in a great location!  I live in what most people would call a fair to big sized city, but I live in the old district.  That means that the library, grocery store, church, cemetery, several parks, an elementary, junior high, and high school are all within walking distance.  And, of course, the city rec. center is only a half block away, too!  Work out classes and equipment, an indoor track, and two pools (olympic lap pool and leisure pool w/water slide/lazy river) plus hot tub!

It is good to be reminded sometimes of the awesomeness of life that we sometimes take for granted because most of the time it just fades to the background as we go about living.

And stressing.

Sigh.  (Really, I'm okay.  This, too, will pass)