Functioning

Every day brings its own challenges.  Every challenge has its own mountains and valleys.  I know everyone experiences days of great blessings and days of great trials.  Everyone experiences easy days and difficult days.  My greatest lesson through all my challenges is that there is always something better and there is always something worse. 

On the worst days there are still blessings to be counted.  On the best days there are still greater achievements to be made and mistakes from which we can learn.

I'm thankful today.  I am able to do most things.  My back is healing nicely from surgery.  I do not have the pain anymore.  I am working on healing and getting stronger.  I can do most things without help from my family, while just a few weeks ago, I couldn't tie my own shoes. 

Each day that I can pick up something I've dropped on the floor, I am thankful.  Each night I can sleep through the night, I am thankful.  When I drive my car and do errands by myself, I am thankful.  When I can sit, walk and stand without assistance I am thankful.  Each time I move without pain, I am thankful.  I can stand long enough to take a shower.  I can put on my own clothes.  I can put dishes away.  This long list of achievements are all things I couldn't do on my own not so long ago.  I am functioning in a way I wasn't before and couldn't be happier.

I know each day I will get a bit stronger and add accomplishments to my list.  There may be another bad day, but the blessings will still be present.

I hope to remember to be thankful in a year when all of this is in the past.  I want to celebrate and rejoice my ability to move and function without pain. 

I need to remember to always rejoice in the small pleasures.  I can't foresee the future.  I can't predict tomorrow.  I can be thankful for what I have today.  I can celebrate my achievements.