Sometimes weeks come unbidden straight from Hell or from a place I never want to visit. Ever. This week hit me in fours. First a startup company I had invested in went belly up after just hearing a few short months ago it was healthy and ready to sell. That was a hard lie to swallow and I was boondoggled. The next day, while innocently eating some sugar peas, my mouth caught on fire, or at least one tooth did. The pain was overwhelming and unrelenting and after I isolated the problem tooth, I knew I was in trouble. After a 7AM emergency trip to the dentist-yes-it was the worst news, after antibiotics a root canal and crown would have to happen-OUCH in every way! But wait, that’s not all. Then my car went. My trusty 98 Subaru started running like it was racing at the Indy 500 and that was not on purpose. So the car was in the shop for three days and I had to beg for rides. I have never been big on being stranded in my home. Nine years of constant deep snowstorms in MA made me feel being stranded forever. Finally I had a hip X-ray on a routine physical-I had a bad feeling walking out of the room when the attendent told me “I was lucky I was slim.” In that context that couldn’t mean anything good. In short, I need a new hip-my second one. Now I hope I am done for a while.
But all was not in vain because I learned something very valuable from a new friend recovering from a stroke. Life is a series of “strokes of luck” and every situation gives you a chance to grow and learn something new. So be grateful for what you have… the beautiful things that happen every day even if you are not paying attention and overdramatizing every event instead of seeing it’s potential. Those moments are the most precious and truly there for you if you take the time to look.
I took the time to look and will keep looking. I am very grateful I had that lesson and will back up and attempt to live my life in gratitude. That is my world view anyway. Sometimes I just become dumb and forget all I have.