A Three-for-One Deal

As you may or may not have noticed, I haven't written a blog entry in a few days. I have a good explanation for this: I've been snuggled away in bed, nursing a cold. Colds aren't so bad, I suppose. Much better than catching the measles or cholera. But I was still feeling crappy enough that I didn't feel like writing a blog post. So I just didn't do it.

But today I'm going to cover three things at once, so I can get caught up again. I looked at my list of things I want to talk about over the course of this month, and I thought that these three went together fairly well, especially in light of my recent illness.

Number one - I'm thankful for my body.

Not a brand-new baby, but still snuggly

My body is certainly not the best body around. I don't have the height nor width (or, more accurately, lack thereof) to be anyone's ideal swimsuit model. My face breaks out more often than I'd like. I get shin splints when I run, and my face turns a bright tomato red when I exercise (It always has, my whole life. No idea why). I have a fairly bad back, my toenails are weird, and instead of burping, I get these strange, internal "brrraaaaaa" noises.

But my body is awesome! Without my body, I couldn't hug my daughter or kiss my husband. I couldn't savor the taste of chocolate, fresh baked bread, or... well, anything! I couldn't dance, or sing, or laugh, or cry. I wouldn't understand the amazing sensation of falling into a comfortable bed at the end of a long day. I wouldn't appreciate how wonderful it is to be healthy. I wouldn't comprehend the crazy joy of riding a roller coaster, or snuggling with a brand new baby.

Without my body, I would be so limited. I wouldn't be able to experience much of anything.

My body is a temple. Yes, it's got the occasional crack in the ceiling, extra padding on the walls, and a bat or two in the belfry, but it's spectacular. It's a work of art. It's a thing of beauty. It's something that brings me incredible joy.

And I am thankful for it.

Not perfect, but still awesome!

Number two - Trials.

It's hard to say "I'm thankful for my trials" with a sincere smile on your face. Or maybe that's just me. But trials are not fun. They pretty much bite the big one. (I don't actually know what "the big one" is, but I'm sure they're biting it just the same.)

But I am thankful for my trials, and this is why:

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, ..righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility." - 2 Nephi, 2:11

Sometimes Ben thinks I'm a trial. :)

That says it all. If we didn't know sorrow, how could we understand joy? Without turmoil, how can we truly know peace? Without sickness, how would we appreciate health?

We can't. Without the trials, without opposition, we may as well be dead. We wouldn't be able to truly feel any of the good without having felt the bad.

Every time I get sick, I find myself longing for the days I was well. I realize that I've taken my health for granted, and I find a renewed sense of gratitude for my usual good health.

And that's just one example. They're everywhere. When Ben is deployed, it makes me appreciate more deeply how wonderful it is to have him home. When I'm heartsick, I'm more grateful for the eventual peace that follows. When I deal with the trial of my infertility, it makes me that much more joyful over the fact that I have a beautiful daughter. It makes me appreciate her more, and not take her for granted.

Most importantly, my trials make me stronger. Through every trial, I turn to my Father in Heaven for help and guidance, and He gets me through it. My faith grows stronger, and I become a better person because of those trials. I become, bit by bit, the person God wants me to be.

So, yes. Trials are not fun. But I'm grateful for them just the same.

Number three - Modern medicine.

I think this one pretty much speaks for itself. I'm grateful that our world has come so far that I can take some cold medicine and sleep at night, in spite of a sore, dry throat and a cough that would normally keep me up.

The 9 lbs, 3 oz baby in question. Gorgeous!

I'm grateful that they can put me completely under when I need surgery, and perform it so delicately that I'm back on my feet in a matter of days with only a couple of tiny scars to show for it.

I'm grateful that I was able to sleep through most of my labor with Evie, thanks to an awesome epidural. I'm also grateful that the epidural kept me from feeling too much of the birth of my 9 lbs 3 oz baby girl.

I'm grateful that there are procedures that can be performed to help my husband breathe more comfortably - and without snoring at night. ;)

I'm grateful that there are asthma treatments to help my daughter when she can't breathe.

I'm grateful that when my daughter was extremely ill with pneumonia, they were able to get her back on her feet and feeling normal again after only 48 hours in the hospital.

The pneumonia incident

I'm grateful that when my husband broke his collarbone, it didn't mean the end of his career as a pilot. They were able to fix him up, as good as new.

I'm grateful that there are so many things doctors and medicine can do for us. This week, I was especially grateful for cold medicine. :)

So there you have it. Three things that I'm grateful for, that tie together beautifully with the cold I had the past couple of days, that prevented me from writing my blog.

And I'm so thankful to be feeling well again!