Thursday, October 24, 2013

Grateful for a fall



It was a "stupid" accident-arent all accidents stupid? Late at night, I made my way down  a flight of stairs and missed the stairs-it was dark, I was half asleep, disoriented, and landed  with a thump and a crash on the landing below-the result was a fractured clavicle!
I am not grateful that this happened-yet, if one reviews any mishap from the vantage point of being grateful, one can discover  insights of meaning from the pain and fear and inconvenience of such an experience.
What did I recognize that could enrich my life at this point?
How fortunate I was that the consequence was not more severe; to pay closer attention to one's environment and increase alertness to pitfalls in our way ; to experience one's vulnerability and the  inescapable reality of human dependence; to understand the pain of others. Perhaps most strikingly is the feeling of the deepest gratefulness for loved ones and health professionals ready to bring support and aid, and to ease one's pain and contribute to the natural road toward recovery.
It is said that God creates the healing before the affliction.While we may not believe in angels, this occurrence reminded me of the angelic nature of human beings. In the angelic entourage was the arch angel, my wife, without whose devotion and care my ordeal would have been unbearable. Physicians, nurses and physical therapists occupy the higher strata in the domain of the angelic presence. All attepts to help and words of empathy and encouragement, likewise, reflect the divine nature of the human soul.
Out of this episode I try to remain grateful and not dwell on -"why did this happen-to me??" but now that it did, my eyes have been opened to the gifts of healing for which I am deeply grateful.