Gratitude

On days like today (read: difficult, painful days), I try to focus on the positive things in my life. To this end, I make gratitude lists. It's harder to find the good when I'm feeling lousy, but it's also an opportunity to look more closely at my life and develop awareness of the things I so often take for granted.

Today's list:

• The fact that my parents' apartment (which I'm visiting) is so full of light! I love the eastern exposure! And the sun does wonders for my mood.
  
• The beautiful weather!
• Colorful foliage; the view from my bedroom window; the view from the living room windows. 
• Excedrin Migraine! (I should be a spokesperson for them, ha!) My parents and I saw Law Abiding Citizen this afternoon and I had an awful headache. Excedrin Migraine took care of it and I was able to enjoy the movie.
• Seeing a movie with my parents.
• The fact that I was feeling well enough to go out and see a movie.
• Time spent with my parents, who are unbelievably supportive (and, really, always have been). I don't take that for granted.
• Text messages with my sisters.
• Meeting new, really solid, supportive people in the Lyme Disease community through the internet.
  
• The following quote: "As long as you make an identity for yourself out of pain, you cannot be free of it." -- Eckhart Tolle (Thanks to Lori, AKA @GoodMoodBlogger)
•  The fact that I can SEE the light, the foliage, a movie, this computer screen -- Lyme Disease has blinded people. 
• The fact that I can type/read/form coherent sentences/speak/express myself in an articulate manner today. A few months ago, it was a lot more difficult for me to express myself due to cognitive symptoms which have since improved!
• The book Living Deeply.
• My Health Journal. It makes keeping track of symptoms, medicine, progress, appointments, etc., really easy. Created by Ashley van Tol of Lymenaide.com
• Dinner tonight: steak, green beans, and salad. My mom makes sure to keep the house stocked with food that I can eat (there are a ton of dietary restrictions with Lyme Disease), and she's a great cook who enjoys feeding people (especially her kids!). 
  
• The fact that there's at least one piece of art created by my sister in every room of the apartment. 
• The feel of the paper in my sketch pad.
• The way my pen glides smoothly over the surface of the page, and the sound it makes.
• The scent of my markers! (They're fruity-smelling.) And, most importantly, being able to enjoy the different scents without getting a headache!

What are you grateful for today?