so grateful.
Many times, through the sweat, tears, and frustration that my job as a nurse brings, I forget how rewarding it can be. There are so many life lessons that can be taught in caring for others and hearing their stories of challenges and triumphs. This week I was slapped in the face with the reality of one woman's life, and fortunately for me I will never be the same.I'm the first to admit that I take like for granted far too often. I whine because I often have to work 50-60 hours a week for our family to make ends meet, or because we aren't exactly where we thought we would be entering our 30s. I complain that our house is too small, or that the area of town we live in makes me miserable. I don't see everything we have been blessed with in life and I'm far too often jealous of the lives of those around me.
I wish I could share the story of this young woman that I cared for. It is hard to look at her life without tears in your eyes for the devastation that has plagued her family. But she taught me how to look at my life in a completely different way in the few days I cared for her. Not once in those days did I think poor, pitiful me for having to work 5 12-hour shifts this week. I didn't feel sorry for myself because my back ached, or I hadn't seen my husband in days. I didn't stress and worry about how we will never be able to give our son everything we want, or ever find ourselves out of debt. I felt lucky to be alive. I felt lucky to not only have a job, but have a job that allows me to work overtime when I need to earn more money. I felt grateful to have this little baby growing inside of me, whether I felt ready or not. I felt lucky for every little and big thing in my life.
I hate that it takes experiences like this to give me a more positive aspect on life and feel gratitude for the life I have been granted. No matter how bad things may seem sometimes, it can always be worse... A LOT worse.
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