Perspective

While battling the stomach flu the other day, I was struck with two thoughts. First, thank God, the cleaners were just here yesterday and left me with a fresh clean bowl to say my prayers to the porcelain gods. Second, this really sucks! Every bathroom run was an emergency session. The dry heaving, the sharp pains, the cramps, the runs, all left me begging and praying for life to end. But then I told myself - "Nope, don't run away from it (it's actually best to just stay near the toilet=). Seriously, I told myself to remember how miserable I was. Remember this! Because tomorrow when this stomach flu has passed, will be the happiest day in a very long while. Suffering gives you a great perspective.

Happiness is all relative right? All I know is that the day after the stomach flu felt like Christmas morning. I was so happy to be back with the living. I was ready and willing to do my fatherly duties, deal with the remodel, pick up slack at work, and just happy to be.

My life is a blessing that I at times I take for granted rather than appreciate. Life is great and I sometimes don't know it. But then I'm brought to my hands and knees by my kids' stomach flu, which btw, I thought I dodged like the matrix. Then all at once, I am reminded that I have a lot to be thankful for, least of which is the toilet paper and running water we seem to just take for granted. Try getting sick in India - squat toilets and hand washing. Yeah, that'll give you perspective.

As my buddy Ray said to me let's just take a trip to India to remind you how good we have it here. Yeah, I admit, we're spoiled here. Life is too good here in the great US of A and we don't fully appreciate it all the time.

But for the moment, as I'm writing this without the urgency of running to the toilet, I'm happy and thankful for the perspective. But I hope the next reminder won't be this dramatic. But if it is, I won't run away from it. I'll accept the misery and listen to the lesson she has to teach.