Two weeks ago, I had a brush with facial paralysis – the facial paralysis that is caused by cold air, the air conditioning being too cold, and sudden and large changes in temperature. Long story short, your face actually droops.
I was lucky that I spoke with a doctor who took me seriously and managed to handle this situation. I am deeply grateful. 🙏🙏
However, I hardly had any sleep for a few nights because of this fear.
The idea that I could wake up the next day with my face fallen, horrified me. I made up countless scenarios and I could not image how I could have worked, or even leave the house for a while. The thought that, in an instant everything can change dramatically, stresses me out. This is something I have in common with many people, I guess – there are a lot of things going on in my head and sometimes my mind is like an animal that tries to eat its own master.
I saw how a life can change in a moment with my father. I saw him on a Saturday, everything was ok; on Sunday afternoon, when I came back, he had had a stroke. From one day to the next our family life had changed. My father’s life had changed dramatically.
I promised myself that I would never forget and that I would appreciate every day, every person, myself, that I would no longer complain about what I have or do not have, why I want it, and the other useless matters.
Still I did not always keep this promise I made myself. Swamped by the daily activities, I sometimes forgot to get up and take the bird’s eye view when I look at myself, the situations that I am in, and find other perspectives.
I invite you to do such an exercise of perspective changing, of appreciation of who we are, what we have, of who we have around us. And to show this appreciation – tomorrow might be too late.