Being Thankful

When my accident occurred it was 16 days before Thanksgiving. And by the time the holiday arrived I had endured a 16 hour neck surgery, double pneumonia, and septic shock; in which doctors said I would never survive. Even though I woke up from a coma the day before Thanksgiving, surviving the impossible, I couldn’t think of one thing to be thankful for. At this point my life had been flipped upside down; I was paralyzed, stuck on a ventilator, hallucinating like crazy, and truly thought every dream that I had had was now over. I never thought I’d be thankful again.
Today, however, 11 years later, I am so thankful everyday for all that I have. I have a home, wonderful friends, a great supportive family, I can drive, I work, and most of all I’m ALIVE!
This world is too easy to get focused on the negative and start thinking how bad we have it. I know it, because I think I have a really good excuse to be unthankful, but where would that get me? I had to challenge myself to CHOOSE to be thankful. It wasn’t easy and it took effort to think what I had to be thankful for. One example is my wrist. When I had my accident they classified me as a c5 quadriplegic. That means I’d be able to move my shoulders, biceps, and deltoid muscles. One amazing thing was that I could also move my wrist which actually comes with the c6 level. I was not supposed to be able to do this. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal but because of this movement I can drive, feed myself, write, and type this to you today! I’m so thankful for this small movement!
Lately, when I turn the TV on its all doom and gloom trying to pull us down and down. Choose today to be thankful for what you have, thanking God for all the He does for us. The list for my thankfulness is never ending, so what are you thankful for today? Challenge yourself to realize all you have to be thankful for. I received the below e-mail a month or two ago. If you can’t think of anything to be thankful for this will hopefully enlighten you!

E-mail reads:
"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence,2/3's of the citizenry just are not happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?'Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day? 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?
Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled people the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the
good Lord we live here.”
Unknown

So I challenge you all today. Instead of being the 67 percent who are unhappy to recognize that we are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, and be thankful and appreciative that we have so much! Today is about 2 months from Thanksgiving. Instead of being thankful on just that day let’s be thankful everyday!
Tasha