Just when you get settled into a comfortable (or uncomfortable) groove, life hands you the oddest and most dismaying (initially) roadblocks, and insists (dictates) that you change direction NOW!
How we respond to life's detours essentially determines our level of happiness and contentment with our lives. Kicking and screaming into each unexpected curve in the road will, predictably, lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
Accepting the detour and curves and reversals, subsequently searching for beauty along the way will yield a higher level of satisfaction and contentment with life.
So where is the beauty and satisfaction in a back injury and the enforced time of work and decreased income? I've been asking myself the same question since August 5, 2011, which was my last day at work before my physician ordered me to take time off.
It took a very long time before I was able to see any beauty in anything, and I mean that quite literally. It took a month or two before I began to feel the very real
desperation of lack of income (WCB took eight weeks to assess the claim and a further two weeks to issue the first payment).
Financially, things are still in dire straits at our house. However, this has allowed me to get to know my SIL in a whole new way. She is a harsh taskmaster when it comes to money! I should have given her this "job" of looking after my finances when I first started nursing!
The abundance of free time has given me the opportunity to spend more time with my extended family members, my nieces and nephews and their children. I've spent more time with my youngest brother in the past months than in the previous years combined. He's an even better man than I previously thought.
These are the beautiful sights along my injured back detour.
Not so beautiful has been seeing my mother's increasingly rapid decline into the scary world of dementia. It's a privilege to spend additional time with her, as always. We've recently had her started on an anti-psychotic and the change in her has been remarkable! Her sense of humor has returned and she can smile again.
This has not been easy, but I've been able to witness and experience it in its entirety. Her dementia has brought her children into closer contact with each other, as we understand the need for frequent communication regarding Mom.
The most obvious beauty of my injured back has been the extra time with Kevy, my red-haired Gremlin. Sure, he still spends time at the sitter, but that's for his benefit as much as mine.
He says "I love you" frequently, and often follows that with a hug. Moments like that would not be as frequent if I were not spending this much time with him.
When it's time to return to work, I may not be returning to the type of work I previously did. However, that is speculation on my part, and some theorizing by my physician.
Regardless of the outcome, I hope to not forget the beauty I found while living on a decreased income and increased time.
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