Читать книгу Above and Beyond - J.S. Dorian - Страница 24

“One day, with life and heart, Is more than time enough to find a world.”

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

Dawn lightens the sky as it always has. Shadows lengthen and twilight gives way to night in familiar ways. The sun rises and sets with comforting predictability, but the hours in between are another matter entirely. For those of us living with chronic illness, each new day can present unexpected challenges.

We awaken and remain in bed for a while, checking pain levels, wondering how much energy we will have and what we will be able to accomplish. Then fear creeps in and we begin to worry about all sorts of problems. There’s a mysterious hum in the refrigerator; a new pothole on the street; a chimney that needs to be cleaned before the weather turns cold.

But we catch ourselves and we push those minor concerns out of our consciousness. The illness has been a teacher; we’ve begun to recognize what is important and what is not. We have a better sense of what is worthy of our time and what is not.

Today may or may not turn out to be challenging, but it certainly can be special. We resolve not to waste any emotional or physical energy on pettiness and trivialities. We will focus on the important things.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

How can I best live these new moments and hours?