A Renewed Perspective

I work part-time for home care agency. Yesterday my work called me and said that they were in desperate need of someone to fill in a 3 hour shift. I took the job and went to the guy's house to meet him to let him in. He is young, and wheelchair bound because he was in a motorcycle accident. He suffered serious brain damage and cannot walk. He can still communicate effectively, but he is pretty much trapped in his body.

We went inside the house, and the first thing he wanted to do was play the Wi. He kicked my butt in Baseball, Tennis, and Bowling. The only thing I won was golf...go figure. We listened to Kenny Chesney for a while, and then he got dressed and ready to go swimming. He is happy and cheerful, living his life to the fullest.

He told me something that I had heard before but it struck me pretty hard again, "People like you don't know what they have. You are so lucky." We had been laughing and having a good time, and that sobered me up. I feel like I complain a lot about things and sometimes I feel like my life is less than ideal. Yesterday I was reminded that we only get one life, one body, one chance. We are each important and significant, and we have the ability to make a difference in the world. I am grateful for that reminder.

Last week I read the book "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse. There was a part where Siddhartha, the main character, was so depressed that he contemplated suicide. It was not until the moment that he thought about killing himself that he really understood how wonderful life was. He realized that sometimes you have to go through the depths of despair to appreciate the joy that the World holds.

I have been through difficult times in my life, but it pales in comparison. I am so immensely grateful for what I have and the abilities and talents that I can share.