Learning To Be Grateful

Sometimes it takes some kind of extreme disruption to make us remember how good we have it.  Over the past month or so, on at least a couple occasions, I found myself lamenting the fact that it was taking forever to finish the wallpapering of the halls and stairway.  Now, I sit here and long for the days of tedious work.  Days filled with measuring, pasting, cutting, trimming, rolling, hanging.and smoothing.  Days chewed up by two or three lengths of paper.  I sit here and think over all the outdoor projects I need to get done before winter comes again.  I long for a time when I can, once again, take for granted freedom of movement, climbing ladders, carrying stuff, digging holes...work!

Okay, to take all the drama out of it - it's really not all that bad, but a week and-a-half ago, while helping my daughter move I fell and fractured five ribs.  Yup!  Five!  Now I gotta tell ya - for the first 48 to 72 hours after the accident - I was in excruciating pain.  Ten or eleven days later, I still have some pain, but the most painful thing of all is just sitting here.  Cautious about how I move, stand, sit, cough and even laugh.  From my rented lifting recliner:

(and yes, it really is that ugly) which has become my bed/recovery room, I can see out the living room window onto the porch that I wanted to have finished before it got too hot, and the temporary wallpapering setup that mocks me day and night.

In the grand scheme of things, this is pretty minor. A few weeks of recovery and I should be back on the path.  I guess I just need to remember this the next time I start griping about things and how quickly my ability (limited as that may be) can be taken away!  

Health and safety to all!