I have two injuries that have been going on for awhile and am balancing “this sucks” with a lot of gratitude for what I can do. I’ve also got some other health stuff going on. Here’s what I’m grateful for right now. Add yours.
I can walk on two feet for daily activity (walking for exercise is a no go right now). That is, I’m not in a wheelchair or on crutches.
I’m not in a sling.
I have very competent physicians and a very good PT.
I have the financial resources to be able to pay the medical bills. I’m generally in a good position financially.
I have a place to live, clean water to drink, and food to eat.
I’m getting to spend time with family that I like right now.
I have a job that I can set a lot of my own hours.
I have super supportive friends and family in real life and on here.
My mind is wired for positivity and survival… I have high functioning anxiety instead of low-functioning.
My list of what I’m grateful for would take too much time for me to type out as I’m taking a break from work. So, I’m going to go with the all to obvious, I’m grateful for my wife and kids.
My wife has been in lockstep with me for 24+ years now. Neither of us was looking for a relationship when we were introduced, but the relationship just happened.
As for my kids…there is nothing more exciting than watching them grow and spread their wings.
I’m thankful that I already knew that you would be thankful for these two things. You know the movie A River Runs Through It? Our knowledge about certain things is a river that runs through it. Steady & reliable. Another way to say it is that certain truths are self-evident.
I’m also thankful for my bf. He is steady and reliable and sexy and fun.
My list is embarrassingly long, but here’s a Cliff’s notes version.
Family
a wife who loves meadult children who like to hang out with megrandbaby #1 is making his debut in OctoberThese people are all great, but I’ve also got a little dog who loves me more than any of them do.Work
I have a job I really like that pays me fairly, allows me to work with people I like (mostly), with responsibilities that line up with my skillsWork allows me to travel and be involved in some cool things.Finances
I’m not rich but I have everything that I need and more. (Caveat - in many parts of the world I would be considered very rich.)I’m not worried about food or shelter or clothes.Health
It’s all good. I’m 57 and still capable of doing everything I want to do.I got hit by a truck 3.5 years ago doing some two-wheeled stuff from the other forum and I didn’t die, nor do I have any significant consequences from it. And there was even some good that came out of it.Faith
Everyone gets to believe what they want. I’m very comfortable with and confident in what I believe and it gives me great peace as well as being the foundation for gratitude.
I could go on and on. I’m incredibly fortunate and I don’t know what I would change.
My life, while perhaps somewhat mundane, has turned out so much better than I could have ever imagined. The good fortune that I have experienced; some through simple dumb-luck, and some through hard work, is amazing.
Is it always perfect? Of course not. But I choose to focus on the good and work on improving the bad.
I’m really bummed that I didn’t see you! I should have visited you earlier in the day when you were at the pool. Next time!
I think I’m recovered, but my lifestyle is too exhausting. I’ve been running & swimming a tiny bit, and I don’t know. It’s too much.
My girlfriend visited Nashville while you were here. She said it was very cool & a very nice, small town. She said it took only 5 or 10 minutes to get anywhere. Her son really wants to study sound engineering at the private college there. Belmont, maybe?
I’m thankful for this forum, which has always been there for me in down times, even if you didn’t know it was a down time. And despite all our differences, I’m thankful for a group that I think is truly good at heart and caring.
Long list and in no particular order:
I live in Canada, warts and all, the best country in the world
Given my history, nobody is shooting at me
Married for 24 years to the same chik and, we all know that triathlon chicks are the hottest
Two healthy kids
Love my job (physio)
Everybody is in good health and, as we all know, health is wealth
Thankful for the dysfunctional family of ST
There is more…
And thanks Dr. Tigerchick for starting this positive minded thread as there is sometimes too much bitchin’ here. Have a shot of sljivovica
For me personally, there are a lot of things that I perceive add up to make life not that pleasant, and it’s been that way for quite a few years. That said:
I am grateful I live in a country that is relatively wealthy, provides opportunities for those that seek it and is far removed from global hot spots.I am grateful that my three kids have (touch wood) been free from serious physical ailments.I am grateful that we have had free access to two years worth of mental health services, just 5 minutes from the home of my eldest child.I am grateful I still have my parents and family who have all contributed to the various forms of support I’ve received over the difficult times. I don’t know where I’d be without them.I am grateful for those friends and colleagues who have been a part of my life at various stages and left me with great memories, tinged with sadness that most have sailed in different directions.I am grateful I get to live 10 mins ride from my work (CBD), 10 mins drive to the beach and a 2 min walk from my kids.I am grateful I have an ok job, a kick-ass view, great end of trip facilities and an employer that gives me a great deal of flexibility, perhaps because there are few other people around that do what I do :)And yes, I am grateful to those here who have responded to my long-winded, more serious threads, and tolerated my idiocy in other threads.
I am grateful that I have the financial means and health to be able to spend ~9 months travelling around the USA in an RV.
I am grateful that my family and I were born in a first world country, Australia. Where life is not a constant struggle against poverty and disease.
Whenever I do one of the races from that other forum I am grateful that I am injury free and healthy enough to finish them.
During Covid I spent a total of 3 months in various quarantines. I got stuck on a mine site for 9 months. I am grateful for the forums on ST which helped connect me to the outside world.
In my other post, I talked about a river. I was talking about a natural force that is very strong and reliable, such as friendship. Our admiration and connection to Captain Canada and the truth he speaks (he is full of truthiness—more than just the ultimate training plan!) is natural, strong, and reliable, like a river.
Here or not, Captain Canada makes us happy. His posts were so good.
Even when I was in exile, I thought: “this can’t be all bad. Captain Canada is in exile too. If he’s been exiled, exiling does not yield perfect results. And with Captain Canada in the wilderness, the wilderness is an okay place to be.†It’s like the threats of hell when you realize great people are supposedly going to hell. I prefer the company of people in exile over some of the non-exiled. lol Exiling is such an interesting concept— it really dates back
IRL, I am paring down some of my socializing to conserve energy. There can be a benefit to cutting ties. I think we examine the costs and benefits of relationships and try to make rational decisions to promote health and happiness. Maybe Captain Canada won’t want to come back.
I got hit by a truck 3.5 years ago doing some two-wheeled stuff from the other forum and I didn’t die, nor do I have any significant consequences from it. And there was even some good that came out of it.
