Appreciation

Are you taking the time to appreciate?

Appreciation is such a valuable tool for someone with Myasthenia Gravis. It not only makes you feel better, it makes the people you are appreciating know that their kindness is recognized and acknowledged.

I too often take things and people for granted. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own little world that I fail to recognize and appreciate all that is going on around me. 

My wife and I spent this last week with my oldest daughter and her husband. They live outside of Boston. While there, we enjoyed some amazing food, cruised Lake Champlain in Vermont, and visited the Boston Bruins Museum. I love eating, I love cruising, and I love hockey, so we got to do all the things I really enjoy doing. More important than the things we did were the people we did them with…..family. These are the people who tolerate me when I am grumpy, encourage me when I am down, and consistently give me the strength to keep going. How wonderful it was to spend time with them while enjoying all the good food and sights.

It would have been so easy to think only about the things we did as I reminisced about our trip, but I realize the most important part was spending time with family. Scattered across the U.S., I don’t get together with my family as often as I’d like.

Sometimes, those of us with Myasthenia Gravis find ourselves overwhelmed, both physically and emotionally. We get so caught up with what is happening TO us that we forget to appreciate what is happening AROUND us. We forget to thank those who help us, we forget to appreciate the caregivers who assist us, and we forget to help others who need help.

I’ve found that when I remember to focus on appreciation, I have less time to focus on the difficult parts of my life. When I see life through the lens of appreciation, the lenses of lack, pain, inability and self-pity go away. I begin to enjoy life again and the people around me.

If you find yourself getting down, call someone you love, go visit them, make an effort. Love conquers misery. If you surround yourself with people you love and appreciate the blessings around you, your troubles don’t seem to be nearly as burdensome.

Years ago, I used to have a little sticker on my computer at work that said: “Put Gratitude in your Attitude”. Those were insightful words. Learning and remembering to appreciate can be one of your best tools in your fight with MG.