More Appreciative of Life

by Ricardo

As I sit here with my leg in the air recuperating from some unknown "staph" infection that really sent me for a loop both physically AND mentally, I have had the opportunity to do a lot of thinking.

I mean,After all, how much can one sleep, watch television, read or surf the net!

I've starred out of the window in my study where I have "set up camp" in my recliner with all the necessities close at hand; paper, pen, phone, remote, copious amounts of water, pillows, blanket,etc......anything that I might need to prevent me being on my feet and aggravating my tortured extremity.

Over the last week it went from a bit red, to bright red to purple, and became very swollen and inflamed, it looked like a "rare" steak!

Well, thank God and antibiotics, I am slowly recovering. Needless to say, I have had quite a lot of time to think during this recovery process.

One minute I am bobbing in the pool at our lodge, and the next minute I am told that had I waited much longer to see a physician that I would have been in the emergency room at the local hospital perhaps fighting for my life as the infection would have spread to my blood and lymph nodes. What a "fine line" we walk in life between living and dying and having sometimes little if any control in the matter!

When I think of it, it frightens me, and for awhile during all this I started to panic and get depressed....

Thank God for my caring and supportive and patient wife, who, as time goes on in our relationship I appreciate more and more!

Without her this struggle would have been much. much more difficult especially on the mental level. She has always been someone with a "glass half full", where I am the opposite. Instances like this really make me take stock in life and it's trials and tribulations.

I have become so much more appreciative of the simple things all around me...the chirping of a robin outside my window, the grass greening up in anticipation of another glorious summer season, all the trees and bushes starting to come to life after a long winters respite.

Hopefully before to long I will be back on my feet, a little wiser, and a much more appreciative of life and the people close to me and the "simple things."

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