Achoo! Sniffle...

As I sit here in a medicine-induced haze, it's easy to feel crankypants about the fact that I suffer from allergies every spring and fall (and frankly, much of the summer in between as well). Who wants to feel like the have a permanent cold for over half the year? So many of the meds I take don't really work, and the ones that do work are so expensive, and my body often adjusts to them, which leads me to start the process of finding good meds all over again.

However, instead of marinating in the nuisance that is allergies, I'm thinking of how lucky I am to be otherwise extremely healthy. It's been quite some time since I've had even a cold, and much longer since I've suffered from anything more severe than that.

I'm also thinking of how blessed I am to live in a country with such easy access to medicines that treat our illnesses. I imagine I have thrown out more expired drugs than people in some countries have access to in a lifetime. And while I may complain about the cost of my pills, I've never had to choose between wellness and a full belly.

I'm especially lucky to have a job (at a time when so many people don't) that not only provides me with the necessities, but offers fantastic health insurance. As does my husband's. While so many can't afford the most basic insurance, we have a CHOICE. And should that dreaded serious illness ever occur, this insurance will enable treatment for us.

I'm able to choose to pop a pill to make my leisure time outdoors more comfortable -- because I have leisure time in the first place.

So, while the sneezes and sniffles are a minor nuisance, they remind me of a long list of things I am lucky to have.

Attitude of Gratitude...

Katie, over at Hems for Her posted today about having an attitude of gratitude.

Like Katie, gratitude is not something i consciously think about all that often. Sure, I say "thank you" when it seems appropriate -- and I mean it! -- but there are so many things in life that we are so fortunate to have that we simply take for granted.
I think that ties in closely to the purpose of this blog. After all, if we are consciously thankful for the things in our life, it makes it rather hypocritical to criticize those same things, no? Katie's post made me realize that in automatically seeing the worst in the things around me, I was inherently taking them for granted.

Frankly, this just doesn't jive with the person I want to be.

So here I am, keeping on with my mission to be more positive in life.
Thank You, Katie, for reminding me to be grateful!