Today, while indulging in an uncharacteristic bout of self pity, I was once again reminded that things happen for a reason.

But let me start at the beginning.  Last Thursday, I had to miss dancing because I’d been flattened by the latest flu.  I was able to dance on Saturday and did a fine job of making up for missing Thursday. 

Ready to get up and go today, I got into the shower and washed my hair, but by the time I got out, I knew it wasn’t happening.  Why?  Because I’ve had a double ear infection for the last three days, but Blue Shield has yet to get their collective heads out of their asses to figure out which of the three or four policies they opened for me is the right one…and send me the appropriate cards!  As luck would have it, I still had the antibiotic drops from the last time I had an ear infection, and fortunately, they were still good. 

But because I share the same sky high pain threshhold as my daughter, I was probably well into this double ear infection before I realized I needed to do something about it.  As a result, three days into administering the drops, both ears are still plugged up which makes things like hearing and balance just a bit dicey.  Being the cautious sort, I deemed it wise to avoid things like, oh, driving!  And since getting to the club where I dance requires about a 20 minute drive, I decided to play it safe and stay home. 

The self-imposed prohibition on driving is really where the self-pity reached a peak.  I found myself craving some Greek frozen yogurt, and maybe a little chicken soup, and then, I found myself wishing my daughter still lived nearby so she could get it for me. 

Fortunately, the craving finally won out, and I opted to walk the half mile to the store to get what I needed (as well as another bottle of cough syrup).  Here’s where it gets good!

The walk and the fresh air did me worlds of good, and I found myself feeling extremely grateful that I was left to my own devices.  Sure, my right hip whined for a bit at the unexpected exercise after several days of limiting myself to the house, but after awhile, everything rather liked the leisurely stroll in the late afternoon sunshine.  Had my daughter still lived up the street, I would have been deprived of the health benefits I enjoyed today, because she would have come to my rescue without hesitation. 

While my ears are still plugged, except for about a second when I yawn and the right one pops, the swelling is easing, as is the rest of the discomfort, the lymph node behind my right ear has returned to its normal size and though I wish it would happen quicker, I am on the mend. 

Clearly, the Universe knew that the best thing I could do was to get out of the house and move, so it made sure that I really didn’t have any options (I really was completely out of cough syrup!). 

In the meantime, my self-imposed confinement has also meant that I’ve gotten a lot of writing done and the kitties have never seen so much cuddling as they’re seeing right now.  I’m getting lots of sleep as well, and doubling and tripling up on the immunity boosters.  I’ve also noticed a definite lack of interest in food, though I’m making sure I eat some healthy things throughout the day anyway (ok, so the carton of Greek frozen yogurt was more of an indulgence!)

It’s as if I’m getting a year’s worth of colds, flus, viruses and random infection out of the way now so that when my world speeds up in a couple of months, there won’t be anything to slow me down.  Despite my current misery, I have to admit that it’s a reasonable plan overall.   With only about 50 pages left to edit, I’m getting close to the jumping off point now.  Soon, I’ll be putting my efforts into things like websites and marketing, as well as some copywriting work.  Then the fun truly begins!

So next time life seems to be throwing you a lot of reasons to be miserable, try thinking of it as getting it all over with at once so you can really enjoy what’s coming.  And if you really look, you’ll find a couple of side benefits that come out of the miserable time which are rather cool!

My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful that I can see the silver lining in the greyest of clouds.
2. I am grateful for a leisurely walk today to remind me that I actually enjoy walking! 
3. I am grateful that my left ear is beginning to unclog for seconds at a time!
4. I am grateful for the excellent nursing I’ve been getting lately from Dylan who sleeps around my head, Toby, who drapes himself across my chest and stomach and Munchkin, who not only checks on me when I get up in the middle of the night, but is the best meditation kitty around.
5. I am grateful that, through it all, I’ve managed to stick closely to my new routines.

Love and light