Count Your Blessings

If you can wake up in the morning, get out of bed, and stand up on two feet...

If you can go into your bathroom and brush your teeth all by yourself...

If you can stand at the toilet and pee all by yourself without having to have someone steady you so you don't fall while in such a compromising, personal position...

If you can take a shower and wash your body and hair all by yourself...

If you can dry yourself off...

If you can stand at the sink and shave...

If you can go to your clothes closet and pick out your own clothes to wear and put them on all by yourself...

If you sit at the end of the bed and put on a pair of boots all by yourself on both feet...

If you can make your way down stairs all by yourself while upright (that is, not have to sit and come down on your rump stair-by-stair while your partner holds your crutches and hovers over you to make sure you don't fall)...

If you can make your way to your own kitchen and prepare an actual breakfast with real food, pulling juice from the fridge, put toast in the toaster, cook eggs or waffles or pancakes on the stove...

If you can walk to the end of the drive to get the daily newspaper that was delivered...

If you can get into a car or onto the saddle of a motorcycle and drive yourself somewhere...

If you can ride public transportation and not be afraid of someone knocking you over and actually finding a seat in the zone reserved for people with disabilities...

If you can walk to work without worrying about climbing over mounds of snow or ice and potentially slipping, falling, and breaking something (again)...

If you can go to work and be productive all day...

If you can drive yourself back home and perhaps stop at the grocery store to run an errand or mail a card...

If you can stop at the home of your family member whom you adore and want to make sure is alright, parking in a distant visitor's space and walk quite a distance to her building...

When you get home, if you can get the mail from your mailbox all by yourself...

If you can fill the backyard bird feeder all by yourself...

If you can plan and prepare a nice home-cooked, satisfying meal for dinner at home with your mate...

If you can get to an evening meeting in the community, speak at a hearing, collaborate on a political campaign, or just visit with friends at their home...

When it's time for bed, if you can get yourself up stairs in an upright position, not having to go backwards up on your rump one stair at a time while your partner holds your crutches and hovers over you because he's afraid you will fall...

If you can brush your teeth, use the toilet, and wash before going to bed all by yourself without help...

If you can change out of your clothes into what you wear when you sleep all by yourself...

If you can go to sleep without the necessity of taking sleep aids, pain medication, or other drugs and actually fall asleep...

If you can be comfortable in your own bed, without having to prop your damn leg higher than your heart on a bulky pillow...

If you can sleep next to your mate who isn't afraid of hurting you or being hurt by sleep-kicking of an unwieldy, heavy, bulky cast on your leg...

And if you don't have to repeat the entire process the next day, day after day after day...

And if you have a partner, spouse, mate, or close companion who will help you with all of these tasks of daily life that you no longer can do for yourself...

And if you have competent health care that ensures you actually WILL recover from a severe injury or illness...

...COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!

I do, every day. I am so deeply appreciative, thankful, and blessed to have my man by my side as I continue on the road to recovery from this broken leg. I appreciate that I do have health insurance and good doctors and a pharmacy plan. The teabagging morons who could give a shit about their neighbors just don't get it...and unfortunately, they never will.

I think of all the people I know who have a permanent condition where they can't fend for themselves any more, at all ... and who have limited health care through Medicare or Medicaid, or no health care access at all. They put up with a lot more than I have had to deal with... and it's a life sentence for them. Such a "life."

While I am annoyed at being temporarily hobbled and confined, there is light at the end of the tunnel and I'll be back into two boots and on my feet soon, while some of my elderly friends don't have that option. They're alone, lonely, and abandoned. This is why I go out of my way to care for others. I've seen it, and now have experienced it with my own bum leg! I'm no saint. I'm no angel. I'm just a guy who cares, and acts on his passions.

I can truly understand now better than ever why my Uncle Charlie just wanted to die at the end of his life's winter. It's miserable to be completely dependent on another and be so unable to do ... what you once could do.

Life is short: count your blessings!