It’s been quite a week.
Just the other day I made a joke about not needing to read any dystopian novels because I was living in a dystopian world. I was thinking of everything that is happening the world right now — drought, fires, COVID, Afghanistan, and the climate crisis.
For me, it is overwhelming to focus solely on what’s going wrong in the world. I need to work hard to focus on the present moment and the possibilities, kindness, beauty, and wonder that always surround us.
All of us need to pay attention to what we focus on. Do you focus on everything that’s wrong with the world? Or do you focus on the goodness and beauty in the world?
On Tuesday night I got a big reminder of all that’s good about our world and about how things can change in the blink of an eye.
Wake-up Call
At 11:30 PM I took my husband Jon to the emergency room at the Maple Grove Hospital because of a severe intestinal bleed. By the time they got him stable he had lost consciousness two times, scared the heck out of me, had a CT scan, and received a blood transfusion.
The ER doc informed me that Jon needed to be hospitalized in an ICU but that there were no beds available in any hospitals in the metro area. At 4:00 am we learned that an ICU bed had opened at North Memorial Hospital and that Jon would be taken there by ambulance. I, however, could not follow him there because no visitors were allowed after 8:00 PM.
At first I was sad and disappointed about not being able to be with him. Then I remembered all of the families who were not allowed to be with their loved ones as they died from COVID-19. And I realized that things could be worse. I, at least, could go visit him the next morning when visiting hours opened at 8:00 AM.
The medical staff took good care of him, and did everything they could to diagnose what was going on.
Counting Blessings
What a blessing it is to have talented and dedicated medical staff easily available in times of need. In another time, without modern medicine, the outcome could have been far different for Jon. He is home now, the bleed apparently stopped on it’s own. We are cautiously watching how things go in the next days and weeks. And he will have other tests on an out-patient basis to follow-up.
“The Degree to which I am blessed staggers me… the degree to which I take that for granted shames me.
―
Though it has not been on the news here in the Twin Cities, our hospitals are full. It’s a daily juggling act for them to care for all those who need care. Please send out a prayer of thanks to all of the dedicated people who care for our health, transport goods, fight fires, and help keep our communities functioning. There are heroes everywhere. You just need to pay attention.
And if you’re having a hard time staying positive in these times (and who isn’t struggling now?) please be gentle with yourself. Find a spiritual practice that helps you to stay in the present moment, look for beauty and blessings, and share gratitude and laughter daily with those you love.
May you walk in beauty.
Note: The challenge this week in 52Frames is “Texture.” These are the photos I made on my morning walk today, focusing on texture.
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