Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[WDWEPCOT]

Dealing with having spinal surgery something I never wanted to do but I had to do it twice having to live with it not fun you think it would fix the problem but it doesn’t it just causes more problems when these are lifelong problems and it causes you to have to have more surgery and more problems so learning to live with all that it’s an ongoing process and it makes me really sad causes me difficulty causes me frustration and it causes me to become very creative to get things done I have been dealing with this injury since I was 22 years old I am now 60 I have amazed my doctors because they don’t understand why I’m still walking and I am praising God that I am still walking sadly I am in pain every day of my life but I am thankful that most days it’s pain I can deal with and I am very thankful that I am still walking

Dealing with family members with mental illness I think that isn’t one of the most difficult things you could ever do in your life and I have spent my whole life dealing with family members immediate family members with mental illness I myself think it is one of the most difficult things you can do you do not know from one minute to the next how a family member is going to be I have lived at one time with four family members with mental illness it is not fun you are just about guaranteed to be constantly arguing with somebody if not more than one person at a time it is extremely exhausting it is draining it is bad for your own mental health it is bad for your own physical health and one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do and learn to live with is to separate myself from my family members it is heartbreaking beyond words is it better for my own mental health yes tremendously is it better for my own physical health more than words can say does it break my heart on a daily basis

I would say getting a divorce but it truly emotionally not so much the person made it very difficult long and drawn out and frustrating the whole act of getting rid of the person though was very liberating and very much needed for my mental well-being and my physical well-being long overdue And so very grateful I could finally make it happen

I would say one of the most difficult things I have to do that I dread doing that breaks my heart so much is having to put one of my pets down I’ve had to do this so many times and just talking about it now makes me cry it makes you never wanna get another pet again but you know within two weeks I’m getting another pet knowing full well that down the road that said day will be here when I have to say goodbye which makes me want to enjoy every precious day I have my pet

 

[clappyclaps]

Evening all,

1. This pretty much sums it up for me, after having my last elderly cat Poppy put to sleep earlier this year:

I would say one of the most difficult things I have to do that I dread doing that breaks my heart so much is having to put one of my pets down I’ve had to do this so many times and just talking about it now makes me cry it makes you never wanna get another pet again but you know within two weeks I’m getting another pet knowing full well that down the road that said day will be here when I have to say goodbye which makes me want to enjoy every precious day I have my pet

2. Getting the accreditation for my job - the job I'm doing doesn't have any formal mandatory qualifications but a few years ago an expert accreditation course came out that I was funded to do to give a bit more gravitas and a formality to the experience I already had. The course itself was long and fairly taxing on top of my normal work, and the assessment for it was my worst nightmare - a full day of interviews and role play scenarios. I actually rescheduled the assessment day multiple times as I couldn't face doing it, but in the end I finally did it and to my surprise actually passed and gained my accreditation.

3. Solo travel - a lot of people wouldn't think twice about this, but for me travelling abroad solo was a big deal. I was very shy when I was younger and it's only over recent years that I've gained a lot more confidence in who I am and what I'm capable of. Booking my first solo trip (to LA and DCA/DLR) was done on a bit of an impulse that I then spent months worrying and fretting about, but when it actually came to it, I really enjoyed it and it's since given me such a better attitude towards what I can do on my own.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I second learning to drive - I was not ready at 16 and ended up getting my license in my early 20s. But I'm so glad I finally did!

Becoming a mom - hard, but so wonderful!!

Making phone calls - it's a little thing, but one of my personal avoidance tasks, and I'm always very proud of myself when I finally get them done