thanks
The place seemed so strange. Hard cushions, metal chairs, one square room, a Murphy bed and tiny kitchenette. Preparing for the week, I stocked up with familiar staples at the local market. These, I reasoned, would add familiarity to the unfamiliar environment into which I was venturing. After three days now, the unfamiliar environment has taken on the cloak of familiarity and the comfort level has grown from none to moderate. Proximity to family and friends provides solace that each member is but a short drive away. I’m taken by the similarity between adaptation to one’s environment and the adaptation one engages at the onset of non life threatening disease symptoms. What was at first a strange and very uncomfortable symptom over time becomes one for which one makes accommodation and although not fully welcomed, is nonetheless accepted. In the process of acclimation to the vacation accommodation, thanks are offered for the accessibility and relative convenience of the temporary abode. Likewise, thanks for flexibility and durability in the face of somewhat progressive disease symptoms changes the paradigm from lost to remaining. Gratitude again fills the cauldron to abundance as we savor the flavor of grace.
Fog crowds the landscape as it obscures visibility in the distance. The chill, though well above freezing, cuts to the bone as it is propelled by the permeating dampness. Winter is only a few weeks old but is acting like a spoiled adolescent with its seemingly arbitrary mood swings. The wood stoked stove and the oil fired furnace help maintain a steady state inside the doors of the old farmhouse. Similarly, keeping the body stoked with exercise and good nutrition, supplemented with dopamine replenishing medications, helps this old body maintain a relatively steady state as well. No matter the level of visibility outside or the degree of disequilibrium inside, the offering of thanks for the degree of relief experienced gives this one joy to offer. May the sun of gratitude shine brightly in your heart melting away the frosty crystals of self doubt or fear!
Our granddaughter came bursting from the arrivals gate with arms extended to be met by welcoming hugs. The glee on her face gave light to memories etched in the fabric of a lifetime. The long drive to the farmhouse was filled with accounts of Christmas day and the weeks and months preceding. Joyfully expressing her anticipation at seeing her other grandfather, she impatiently urged the drivers ahead to speed up or move to the side. Finally parked at our country destination, she sprang from the jeep like a “Jack in the box” to begin the long awaited greeting of gramps and animals, not to mention the plethora of presents. In a few short days she will be returning to her daily routine of school, homework, and dance rehearsal, but for now, she can enjoy the indulgence of grandparents and animals galore that enjoy sharing in her presence. Like so many days before, PD symptoms take a back seat to the joys of life this moment and the abilities yet remaining. The air is warmed this day by the flow of gratitude that wells from a heart touched by grace.