dcnovice
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Joined: 8/2/2006
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November 26, 2014
A Strange Thing to Be Thankful For (A Bit Graphic)
Dear Ones ---
I turned 51 at 4:06 p.m. today, and kind, cherished friends took me out for a scrumptious dinner, followed by a shopping spree at Kramerbooks. I had a glorious time, for which I’m deeply grateful. But that’s not what prompted me to write. In an odd way, I’m particularly thankful for what didn’t happen tonight.
My stomach has been a bit testy today, and twice during dinner I quietly excused myself to get sick in the restroom sink, which was more accessible than the toilet. That meant I couldn’t flush the messes away, so I went through a small forest’s worth of paper towels cleaning them up. Then I returned to the table and enjoyed my friends’ company. Not wanting to put a damper on the evening, I kept my intestinal adventures to myself.
Only when I got back home did it strike me that my matter-of-fact response to the situation was a minor miracle. I didn’t get flustered (well, not much). I didn’t cry. I didn’t ask why this was happening to me. I didn’t pity myself. I didn’t break down. All of which I might have done, and probably would have in my first half century. I simply faced what had to be faced and did what had to be done, calmly and efficiently.
So what went right? Perhaps MiMA and my other medical adventures have quietly shifted my perspective on what counts as a crisis. Maybe surviving them has made me tougher than I’d realized. Then again, age may have deepened my sense that “this too shall pass.” Or maybe I was just lucky. In any case, I’m grateful.
“You have to accept whatever comes,” said Eleanor Roosevelt, “and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.” I’m not sure swabbing out a sink quite counts as courage, and I rather hope that the best I have to give is a bit more exciting than restroom maintenance. Still, I’m quietly proud and keenly thankful that I accepted what came and addressed it as a responsible adult. That hasn’t always been my strong suit.
As my birthday wanes, I look forward to Thanksgiving and its invitation to reflect on my many blessings—including one I’d never sought or expected.
May your Thanksgiving abound with blessings too!
Cheers,
DC
_____________________________
No matter how cynical you become,
it's never enough to keep up.
JANE WAGNER, THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF
INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
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DC Update: A Strange Thing to Be Thankful For (A Bit Gr... - 
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