Thankful · 10:45pm Mar 8th, 2015
Ugh.
Just spent the last week in the hospital.
Again.
I can definitely say there are much better ways to spend your birthday.
When you have been diagnosed from day one with ailments the doctors describe using terms like "multiple", "acute", and "chronic", hospital stays are depressingly common. During my latest stay and convalescence (Hi Dr. Jensen! Hi Dr. Grant!) I realised that, lousy present circumstances aside, I have quite a lot to be thankful for:
• I have a loving, supportive family. Significant Other and I are still together and love one another (sickness and in health and all that...), my brothers and I still care for each other, and my mum and da still love each other and have not divorced. I, unfortunately, can say that not all my peers and co-workers are so fortunate.
• Significant Other and I have a flat to call our own. Granted, it is rather snug, and not in any way "luxurious", but it is suficient for our needs, affordable for our budget, does not leak, is warm in the winder, and cool in the summer, and houses no mould or vermin.
• I have a vehicle to call my own. It is over half as old as I am and covered in dings, dents, and patches, but it is mine. It is all paid off and aside from regular MOT and maintenance, I have not had to sink an exorbitant amount of money into it.
• I have stacks of comfortable and varied clothing. It may not exactly be bleeding-edge fashion and several pieces may have been previously owned, but makes me look reasonably nice, keeps me warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and I will never have a lack.
• I have a veritable cornucopia of affordable food available year-round that is the envy of much of the world. I have an absolutely massive amount of options for a delicious, healthy, varied, and affordable diet. The biggest (food related) worry I face is deciding between kiwis versus mangos and not "do I starve today or do I starve tomorrow?".
• I have access to healthcare and medicines that are nothing short of miraculous. We all like to whinge about waiting lists, and prices, and to be sure there are some serious, legitimate issues that need to be addressed, but overall, I am supremely grateful for all the men and women who research the drugs I take and for the doctors and nurses who have time and again cared for me. I should, by all rights, have died a long time ago were it not for them.
• I live in a country that, despite its flaws, lets me have the freedom to live my life the way I wish without fear of persecution. I do not have to continually look over my shoulder, living in fear about the possibility of being imprisoned, beaten, raped, blown up, flogged, caned, crucified, acid burn'd, hung, or kidnapped because of my lifestyle choices.
• Significant Other and I both have steady jobs (at the same company no less!). The work is supremely enjoyable and we both have the best co-workers, floor managers, and bosses we could have ever asked for! We are definitely not what you would consider "wealthy", but we never have had to choose between paying for either "SIG's Medical Treatments", or "Electricity and Utilities", or "Food for Today".
This list is hardly exhaustive. I have lots of things to be thankful for.
Life certainly is good. It dealt me a few downright lousy cards, but overall the deck is stacked in my favour against the house. I am supremely grateful for that. I do not want to forget how fortunate I am and take it for granted.
So yeah...
What are you, dear random reader, thankful for?
Sorry you've been in the hospital. Hope you're doing better for now.
Anyway, what am I thankful for? Hmmm.
Well, I made all the way through my military enlistment and got out a while ago with an honorable discharge. I think being out of that is the thing I'm the most grateful for right now.
I only have two more quarters of college left to get my degree! And then I get to apply for another degree program, which'll be another two years of school, and that's actually pretty awesome because I love being in school. So I'm thankful for that.
I have a car that works fine and I was able to buy outright instead of having to finance and blow a bunch of money on interest, so that's a thing to be thankful for, since it's something I really need.
Y'know, when you think about it, life's pretty darn good. Thanks for reminding me of that.
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I guess that explains a certain je ne sai quoi about your stories concerning military postings.
It also makes one more thing to be thankful for: thank you for your service!