Smell the flowers while having a coffee

It has been a little while since I last posted on my blog. Although there are many excuses that I could proffer, I think it best to simply say Happy New Year to all.

One would think that a prognostication for the coming year would be a good place to start, however, I have decided not to make this a crystal ball based post.

Without going into gory details, I have spent the last two and a half weeks in quite a bit of pain due to an infection in my left leg. I spent most of my holiday time going to and from emergency at my local hospital and then spent five days in the hospital after emergency surgery so that the infection did not spell the end of me.

What this whole thing has done is remind me of what is often taken for granted – our health and freedom. Putting off that diet for one more day, inhaling Aunt Flo’s apple pie without thought to the fact that it is horrible for you, going up and down a flight of stairs without any pain, seeing the sun rise in the morning etc. When one is incapacitated, the little things in life suddenly become a treasure.

The question is why we have to lose something before we appreciate it. And rest assured, I am no different than anyone else when it comes to taking things for granted. We all know of the various sob stories about someone who does not get to say good-bye, tell a loved one “I love you” and the list goes on but yet human nature continues to display the arrogance that it won’t happen to me.

I see this behavior day in and day out with people who elect not to put that extra dollar aside forsaking it instead for a fleeting desire. Or the person who elects not to implement an insurance plan to cover disability or critical illness only to be faced with such a tragedy a short time later.

So as is often the case with similar stories, heed my stupidity and make sure that you take the time to smell the coffee and protect yourself properly against tragedies and for later in life.

The other thing that was so apparent to me is that if you do not love what you do, stop doing it as it is not only impacting yourself but also those who you interact with. Overall the staff was superb with the nurses going the extra mile and there is no doubt that helps in one’s recovery. Unfortunately there were also a couple of nurses who should consider another career as their inability to smile and be empathetic certainly put a damper on their 12 hour shifts.

At the end of the day, be thankful for what you have at all times and if you are not happy in what you do, seriously try to find something else to do.

Here’s to everyone’s good health this year let alone wealth and the rest.