Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Grateful

I am part of a Shutterfly group in support of a woman I have never met. Her name is Lanie and she is in the last stages of Breast Cancer. Today she posted her update and I am left with very little words. I am in awe of all the strong, brave people who keep trying to just have one more month, one more week, or even one more day. The people who never give up. As she said she is not fighting to save her life but to squeak out a little more time... and then I thought how very often I find myself taking for granted all those things I CAN do. I find my focus slips into the negatives "I don't feel well", "my hip hurts", "my back aches"... but I have time. I have a seemingly infinite amount of time in front of me. Then this brave woman I have never known points out that I am wasting that time really. I can walk to the kitchen, I can focus, I can think, I can read, I can breathe without pain, I can plan!!!, I can reasonably hope to see my children grow up, I can wrap my hands around a cup of coffee and breathe. I have the luxury of knowing I can do it all again tomorrow. I know the sore throat will heal the aches will subside and that I can LIVE with very little effort on my end I get the gift of life!! So today I am grateful for every breath and every step and am sitting on my comfy couch breathing in the candles, having a piece of chocolate, and a hot cup of coffee and thanking every single thing in the universe that has allowed me to do so. I send my hopes and prayers to Lanie and her family and hope she finds that bit more time, quality time that she can get in one more squeeze with her boys and her husband and that she can have one more day to smile. So raise your mug and be ever thankful that you are and that you can....