I’m 76 years old and my back hurts all the time. My feet hurt most of the time and my knees and right shoulder hurt some of the time. Even my right hip is starting to bother me. It’s hard to lift a bag of fertilizer out of the car and harder still to heft it up over my shoulder. By the time I carry it to the shed I’m ready for a Tylenol. Bladder control has been a nuisance since I had a salvage radical prostatectomy after 37 radiation treatments that didn’t cure my prostate cancer. My right calf is smaller than my left (I used to have great calves) and it will never recover fully from the three days I spent in intensive care having a blood clot dissolved in a most painful manner. It formed after fusion surgery on my foot and almost sent me upstairs to meet my maker. Now I’m on Cumadin (rat poison) forever and that keeps me from eating my favorite foods like cabbage, broccoli, spinach, beets and Brussels sprouts. My real estate investments have taken a hockey stick shaped turn to the south and I don’t have twenty or thirty years to work hard and recover. I don’t even buy green bananas.
I’m reminded of a couple of post cards that my folks pinned up in an outdoor cranny they had behind a mountain home in the Rockies. In one a couple was sitting at the counter in a cafe and the waitress said, “I got scrambled brains, stewed liver, boiled tongue and pickled pig’s feet. ” The customer said, “Don’t tell us your troubles sister. . . just bring us a couple cups of coffee!” The other one shows a man walking down the street who is distracted by a sign that says SMILE just as he is about to step into an open manhole. He is holding a You’re Fired notice in his hand and his pocket is full of bills and a summons. The caption says – One day as I sat musing, sad and lonely and without a friend, a voice came to me from out of the gloom saying, “Cheer up. . . things could be worse. ” so I cheered up and sure enough things got worse.
Ten years ago I had been given a death sentence by a doctor who said I could take a $400 a month shot for three years and then the cancer would metastasize into the bones and I would have a painful death. Another doctor said I didn’t have to begin the shots quite yet and perhaps I would have six years and then have a painful death. I went to see a doctor I had grown up with. He said a lot of doctors could find themselves in trouble attempting surgery after radiation. He said he had done over 700 prostatectomy’s and I had a 50/50 chance of success. He said, “Dick, I’m talking about saving your life. ” That sounded good to me and I said, “Go for it Tony. ” I’m grateful that Tony gave me a second chance
I’m grateful for doctors whose names I can’t even remember for getting rid of a blood clot. I’m grateful for the animal named doctors that have helped me have a better quality of life. Dr. Bacon for two back surgeries, Dr. Faux who remade my foot so I can walk without pain, and Dr. Badger who did some work to relieve pain in my legs.
A couple of weeks ago I had some time to myself and I began to make a mental list of things I was grateful for. It was easy to list Donna, my wife of 56 years, and our eight children and their spouses, and our thirty grandchildren and their seven spouses, and our eight great-grandchildren. I’m grateful for the time and the means we have to visit them in Washington, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. I’m grateful that we like being together and that we are able to be with them frequently. I’m grateful for the memories of our son Gordon who died as a child.
I am grateful for a home that offers shelter from the storm, protection from intruders, privacy from the world, and peace to the soul. I’m grateful for food and the convenience of obtaining it and the ease of preparing it. I’m grateful for a car and roads to drive it on and places to see. I’m grateful that I can drive from the west coast to the east coast, from Canada to Mexico, without being stopped by someone at every state border checking me out. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work in a job or profession of my choice.
I’m grateful for snowcapped mountains, warm sandy beaches, and all the diverse scenery in between. I’m grateful for education, information, computers, iPods, cameras, television, and the internet. I’m grateful for summer, fall, winter, and spring. I’m grateful for clean air, pure water, blue skies, fluffy clouds, and grass to lie on. I’m grateful for poetry, music, theatre, art and the time to enjoy them. I’m grateful for churches, and parks, and lakes and streams and fishing.
I’m grateful that I awoke this morning. It was great to discover I was still alive, somewhat alert, and feeling pretty good. Donna and I went to the recreation center. She did her yoga and I played six games of racquetball, two singles and four doubles matches. I won half my games. As I hobbled out of the gym I was grateful for the three inches of snow that had fallen overnight. It will help fill our reservoirs and lengthen the fishing season.
It’s probably an overused expression but I really do look at the glass and see if half-full rather than half-empty. I am a grateful optimist. I pray every day for strength and guidance and my prayer will always be answered. Life slides swiftly down the banister of time. Don’t waste it by conjuring up all of the bad things and the disappointments you have experienced. Don’t create a place where all the negatives can fester.
Remember – Blossom by blossom the spring begins.
Coffee gifts including coffee machines and coffee pods
