Ouch
One thing and another, I’ve been hammered flat all weekend. Auto/home/whatever repairs, and a toin of other crap all at once, and my knees feel like the dog’s breakfast. And yet, I’m enjoying myself immensely.
Years and years ago, I watched my father suffer from the countless ailments and infirmities that plagued him all his days- bad feet, back, knees, bone marrow infections in the upper arm etc.
I watched him- a tough man, a man capable of dealing with pain that would lay waste to lesser men- I watched him involuntarily weep in pain.
I prayed a fervent prayer, every night, in those days. I prayed, “Please, God, take away a little of Dad’s pain. Let me have it. Let him sleep tonight. Let him rest.”
Today, when I ache to stand, creaking and groaning and sore in all my joints….. I smile. And think, yep. I asked for this, and I accept it. And suddenly it doesn’t hurt so much at all.
Thanks to the inimitable Mr Porretto for the reminder.
Definitely with you on this one.
My mother had early onset arthritis and by 40 she was almost always in pain. But she learned to live with it, and it never got all that much worse, so at 77 she’s doing Ok.
I’m hoping that your problems get no worse, so at 77 you are doing, OK.
Yep. Been doing a little of that myself for the last couple of weeks. What I thought was everyday, garden-variety conjunctivitis (pinkeye) has been upgraded to “scleritis,” a consequence of herpes varicella, or chickenpox. Shingles in the eye is a good term. At any rate, it occurred to me as I read Fran’s piece that yes, it was time to pay up on some of those hastily-made bargains. So, in the interest of fairness, and for all the times I have told others to “offer it up,” I am now offering it up.
Thanks, Og, and thanks to Fran, also.