The Reality

Yesterday I had a dr's appointment down at Stanford to determine the cause of the numbness I've been experiencing in one of my hands & the constant pressure in my clavicle that's been plaguing me for the past five months. Luckily my condition is treatable and I have so much hope that I will be pain free after working with a physical therapist & undergoing surgery.

And for that, I am extremely grateful. While I am experiencing chronic pain, my health is otherwise fantastic.

As I was leaving the hospital yesterday, I noticed a girl around my age who was crippled. She had clearly been in a major accident and was paralyzed. It broke my heart, knowing she can't complete basic tasks for herself anymore; and instead, has to rely on both her mother and caregiver who were both present with her yesterday.

And more heartbreaking is the fact that she will never ever again be able to run barefoot through the grass, carefree, like she did as a child. Nor will she be able to experience the joy that comes with having "the first" dance with her husband, or playing hide and go seek with her little boy.

Sudden pains will arise, but we must remind ourselves to not let them derail our joy. We must remain thankful on a daily basis: thankful that we are not confined to a wheel chair; hooked up to a breathing and/or feeding tube; and don't have an incurable disease. But most of all, thankful for the gift of life God has blessed us with.

And with that, I'm off to run barefoot through the grass for that courageous gal!