Health & Youth

Health and youth are relative things. I'm 48 years old. That's older than I've ever been (really!?) and I older than I ever thought about when I was younger. I see 48 in a different light now than I did 20 years ago. The age thing hit me this afternoon. I was walking out the door of Mom's doctor's office to go get the truck and bring it up close to get her. As I was about to step off the curb toward the parking lot, I noticed 2 older ladies, probably in their 70's, trying to get another lady of about the same age out of a van and into a wheel chair. Having done just the same thing myself a few hours earlier and planning to do just the reverse in a minute or two, I slowed down. These ladies looked unsure of how to go about the process. I asked if they needed a hand, and one replied, "I don't know." I took that as a "Please." I put my stuff down and held my hand out. This is the part that I found very interesting: of the three hands offering assistance to this lady, the one she grabbed was mine a stranger's hand. I have to believe that though she was grateful to her friends for their help, she thought the younger, stronger hand might be of more assistance. It certainly wasn't that my towering strength was so obvious. At 5 feet even, I don't tower over much of the population older than 7. The only thing in my favor here was youth.

Once she was in the wheelchair, all the ladies thanked me and went inside to consult their doctor. I picked up my stuff and started walking across the parking lot. Suddenly, my heart broke and I was in tears. I realized how effortless walking is to me. I don't think about it. I jump in and climb out of cars and trucks and vans without a moment's thought. I do it without the aid of a cane, walker or wheelchair. I don't think I've ever considered what a blessing that is... what a gift good health is... even relative good health.

My mom has had lupus for a long time, but until a few months ago, she was relatively healthy. She could eat what she wanted, when she wanted it. She could get up from a chair or the bed without assistance. Today, everything seems to make her sick and I have to help her up from her chair and her bed. She uses a walker to move around her house and it's wider than her bathroom door, so that presents a problem.

There are so many things that we take for granted every day. I'm thankful that I took time today to look at those things and understand Who gave them to me This Day and Every Day that I have them.