The following is from an E-zine called Mindful Moment. This really touched me and I wanted to share Patrick's message with you (with his permission). Patrick wrote:
This week I broke my ankle.
I was at the neighbourhood playground with my wife and son and was
carrying my son back to the house. (For those of you who don't have a
toddler, when it's time to leave the playground, it often involves
carrying your child home amid cries of "five more minutes,
pleeeeease?") Since I had him in my arms, I couldn't watch the ground
and my right foot stepped just off the paved walking path and onto a
sloped surface. I went over on my ankle - CRACK!
A few days later, as I was sitting around with my throbbing ankle
propped up on a pillow. I was beginning to feel sorry for myself when
I remembered an aquaintence of mine who works with terminally ill
patients. A few weeks ago she lost her house in a fire. Everyone was
safe, but everything was gone. As I thought about her situation, I
felt foolish for feeling sorry about my ankle. I e-mailed her at work
to let her know that I was thinking about her and to wish her well
through her ordeal.
Her message back to me contained an even broader perspective. "This
(rebuilding from the fire) is a full time plus job that I never
applied for - with few benefits and many burdens. But every one of my
patients would still love to be me."
How's THAT for a change in perspective?
Ankle? What ankle?
ENJOY NOW!
Patrick Mathieu
email: patrick (at) mathieu.com
