I Learned 5 Things While Sick

1. No matter how hard you try, you cannot rock the same outfit three days in a row. Yes, I had zero energy to change. Yes, that equates to me sleeping, being and staying in the same yoga pants, tank, and hoodie. While it was cute, said person in cute outfit gets less cute as the days roll on. Don't judge me.

2. There’s never a good time to be sick. But, sometimes, the timing sucks more than your vaccuum cleaner. Seriously, after day 4 of cabin fever and wet-cat version of anxiety about driving in the winter storm of 2012 - the snow and ice melts and I get sick going into a 3 days weekend?! Could be worse, much worse, but damn!

3. There is no justice when it comes to ailments and health. You know those stories about the healthy person getting a heart attack? Or the person who never tried drugs or such getting into an accident? My situation’s not as bad, admittedly. But, dang. I've been a vegetarian since I was 15. I've never smoked - anything, to clarify. Well, there was that time when David Ball in high school helped me become a smoker. After coughing and complaining that it burned my throat, he said "Ah, that goes away after a while." "I said, "Forget this! And I'd rather spend my lunch money on Subway." So, yes. I have my glass of wine every other week or so. I avoid fast food. I guzzle water. We make homemade meals and pack our healthy lunches. I take vitamins and strive for my 7 hrs of sleep a night. I went as far as getting a flu vaccine this year. I'm active 6 days a week. I'm even part of TEAM AWESOME! Nope, zero justice when it comes to nasty snotty viruses.

4. The best way to get through pain and illness is to find as many distractions as possible. Especially useful when you have no appetite at all. My utmost favorite distraction this past week? Sleep, sleep, and more sleep. I don’t remember sleeping so much! When I’m awake, I indulged in: Men of a Certain Age. Elevation Church (thanks Kristin!). Movies. Google-ing, Online shopping. Tweeting, something apparently I started and abandoned in 2010. Researching and Blogging on my three, yes three, blogs. And Facebook. There was some reading once I was  able to stay awake for longer than an hour at a time. Oh, and I was constantly thankful that I didn't have trees around to fall on my house. SUPER thankful that we had heat and electricity!!! I was sending out prayers to my friends and family who were without and not sure when PSE would get them lit up again? Counting my blessings and praying for others was a good distraction too. 

5. Friends and family rock. Big time. I’ve received so many messages well wishes. Texts and facebook well wishes. No calls, thankfully because I was out of it and sounded like a man. I was really truly motivated by this (not the sounding like a man piece). You see, in my moments of cabin-fever-crazy-thinking-mode, I sometimes wondered if anyone would notice if I disappeared from this planet for whatever reason (alien abductions, serial killer finds me better suited in his freezer). I mean, I know my immediate family and Seth would care a lot. But, how about other people who don’t see me everyday? Those who interact with me primarily via social media? Or just at work? Or during 5Ks? Would they care? It was amazing to see that there are people who WOULD – and DO – care enough when I’m not well. And, if they care enough when I’m not well, then I’d like to think that they’re also the folks who would care if I do disappear. Yes, that’s a bit overly dramatic, I know. But, hey… When you're stuck at home for this long, not knowing what’s going on, your life views do get magnified a bit more than usual. Let's just say that I'm an odd duck too. So, I said that this #5 motivated me. It motivated me to express my love and concern more often. Not that I don't. But to be more aware of showing my love and concern to friends and family when they're, not only ill, but when they are well. As a friend of mine once said, the best of friends are the ones who are happy for your happiness. I have a lot of happy friends. So I best roll up my sleeves and up the HAPPY! :)

Are you in Love?

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1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Have you ever noticed that when people are in love, they tend to forget everything else? Everything becomes secondary — cars, houses, money — nothing matters — it is all secondary to love. Then, when they fall out of love, as in a divorce, all of a sudden those things mean everything! They argue about all the little meaningless things they ever owned together. Hmmm.

The same is true with Christ. Before we know Him, all we really have are possessions. But when we come to know God — truly know Him — those things mean very little — we're in love! We're willing to give up everything. Those people who are most in love with God and filled with His love are the least possessive and the least materialistic.

If we have been wrapped up in our possessions, we've lost sight of our greatest treasure! All that stuff means nothing. Let go of it. Return to your first love. Lighten your heart and fall in love again with the love of God!

Love Lives in Reality

“You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33

Unrealistic expectations lead to a life of disappointment and frustration. Few of us want to accept the fact that life can be hard. Though we see others struggling and hear them tell about their hardships, we think our life and marriage will be different. We hang on to idealistic assumptions about the way our partners will treat us, the kind of house we’ll live in, the good health we’ll always have. We don’t see much point in preparing for disappointment.

I am reminded that Jesus was certainly up-front with His disciples when it came to letting them know what to expect in life. And if we want to avoid the anger/hurt that flows from being disillusioned and exasperated with things – and with people, including our spouse – we will not insist on perfection in them. We will not base on moods on how things are going.  I pray that I better put my confidence on God, who never changes, and choose to be content with a life that can change from one moment to the next.

5 Regrets of the Dying <=== A MUST READ

by Bonnie Ware

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them. When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard. This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings. Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result. We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying. It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called "comfort" of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is your life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly.
The direct link to the nurse who wrote this: http://www.dhammaweb.net/dhamma_news/view.php?id=455