I have had a cold for the past 5 days.  It felt like it was coming on the day before it happened, but I thought I could knock it out by resting in bed before it took hold.  Instead, it just got worse each day.  I am in bed while writing this.  

Paradoxically, this has made me realize just how blessed I am.  The fact that being sick rarely happens to me is something for which I am very grateful.  That is a huge blessing!  When I was a kid, I got colds quite often.  That really isn’t surprising when I think of the small classrooms at school and how we were packed inside. But I was particularly vulnerable in those days for some reason.

It has occurred to me that it’s really so easy to see the blessings in our lives.  But, we need to look for them and appreciate every good thing that happens.  Being thankful doesn’t magically happen.  We need to be aware and develop an attitude of gratefulness. Yet, when bad or difficult things happen, we tend to jump right into the negative reactions.  It is a human weakness.

Maybe I need to come up with a mantra, a prayer that I can say multiple times throughout the day to keep me on track.  Something short and easy to remember.  I will work on that.

I must remember that I don’t need to be home sick to think of these things.  I always seem to ponder when I come down with an illness.  When I am stuck in bed, but awake, my mind starts to wander and I think of things I should be working on.  Sometimes, I make a list of things that I need to do.  And other times, like right now, I will think deeper thoughts and say more prayers.   It is a blessing to ponder right now.  No matter what is happening in my life, praying is always helpful to me.  And I am very grateful for that.  Amen.