My Many Blessings

In my last post I threw a huge pity party. In fact, it was such a long, pessimistic diatribe that I deleted it just now! In this post, I'm going to counteract that with listing the many ways in which I am blessed. So here we go...

• I have a wonderful, loving, supportive wife who has been terrific. This affects her as much as it affects me.
• I have a beautiful daughter who I'm able to play with, hug, make laugh, and read to.
• I have family and friends who care about me and check in on me to see how I'm doing.
• I have a "new" car with an automatic transmission that allows me to drive to work in comfort.
• I'm able to live my life (sit, stand, walk, etc.) without being in a lot of pain. I can sit for longer periods now without being in too much discomfort.
• I have a good group of doctors who are spinal specialists.
• My employer has been extremely supportive and flexible with me throughout all of this, allowing me to work from home until I could get better transportation to work.
• I have nice, warm, dry home and a comfortable bed to sleep in.
• Our neighbors Vinnie and Susan look out for us. They are the ones who recently paid to have my lawn cut.
• I'm able to work, and short term disability pay took care of us when I couldn't.
• I have a good-paying job that allows me to accomplish a goal I always wanted for my family: Vicki is able to stay home full-time with Jasmine.
• I have a dad who is the best. I've been missing Mom terribly lately, but the one positive thing that came out of her passing is that Dad and I are closer than we would have been otherwise. I have a wonderful step mom as well.
• I'm able to go home for Christmas and see my family.
• The doctor thinks my back will heal itself as long as I take it easy for a few short months.

I suppose I could go on, but that's a pretty good list I think. I certainly feel better about things. I could be in a lot worse shape, and there are people in much worse shape than me. That's easy for me to forget, and I need to remember it. Please pray that I can retain this positive outlook and not slip back in to having a negative one. That's easy for me to do.

Last night Vicki went out and I watched Jasmine, even putting her to bed. It was the first time I had done that in a very, very long time, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Her molars are coming in so she is teething a lot and clingy. She's drooling all over the place! I don't like seeing her not feeling well, but love it when she hugs me. I hear her upstairs now playing with her little musical toys in her crib. She brings such joy to our lives!

God bless,

Aaron