Appreciation

Today, please think of the people in your life that make it better.  Appreciate their unique talents and the joy that they bring to your life.  Remember the little experiences that make each day special and stop and be grateful. Pause and meditate on what it means to be grateful, to appreciate others, to experience friendship.

In a world that is filled with immediate gratification and emphasizes the material vs. the spiritual/emotional connection between people, it is increasingly important that we stop and acknowledge the gifts we have in our life.  It may be as simple as a perfect banana for breakfast or as complex as a friend who knows you best verbalizing for you what you have been struggling to explain.

There are many times and often many days that I could go without finding appreciation for my life.  Being in chronic pain lends itself to easily becoming bitter.  However, it is important that we don't become bitter.  Life is meant to be enjoyed whether that is a picnic in bed snuggled under a comforter while your family or friends laugh and eat pizza to try and give you a "normal" experience or the kindness of a look from a loved one who knows you are in pain and they are empathizing.

I am choosing today to not focus on the pain or what I can or cannot accomplish.  Instead, I am choosing to pause and appreciate the people who make my life so much better by their very presence - not to mention the love, laughter, and kindness they bring to my life.  When I am at my worst, I find it comforting to stop and think of these people and know that they are thinking of me.  Whether we share DNA or not, they are my family and without them I would be lost. 

I hope you know I am talking to you.  Yes, you.  Thank you for keeping me from becoming bitter and angry.  Thank you for pushing me when I was stuck and for being gentle when I needed it.

I am looking forward to the next time my friends need me.  I can't wait to dish out what they have served to me - sarcasm, wit, humor, chocolate, and snark.  All the best friendships in the world have chocolate, snark, and beer, with a side of love.