A friend called who is having a challenging time taking care of her sister who had fallen and severely hurt herself. Both of the women are in their 60s, and both have had falls. This time, however, a broken leg was the result, and whereas the sister who was injured was only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom, her sister was taking over all the chores and the full care of her sister, including helping her at night when she had to use the facilities. It was difficult for both of them and called upon all my friend’s energy reserves. She was exhausted and began to feel resentful, and then she had a startling idea. She would see this time of helping her sister as if she was in a Buddhist monastery for two months. She knew that if she were there, she would be up at 3:30 or 4 AM and that there would be requirements that instill patience, compassion, and serenity in the midst of annoyance.
She told me that the most amazing thing happened as a result of the decision. Both she and her sister were better tempered, more loving, and able to laugh, and that she had absolutely no resentment about helping – only gratitude that she COULD. The negative became a positive and ushered in more ideas about how to make the holidays easier and more fun for them both.
The decision my friend made is one that all of us would benefit from. We are always dealing with annoyances in one form or another. Little things become big things when we let them get out of hand, and if we were able to remind ourselves that life is a beautiful opportunity to overcome the irritants, we would be able to look through eyes of love, appreciating all that we are given…including the challenges.
Let’s take a little time each day to be grateful for everything that is presented to us. It’s an opportunity to learn, to help, to have more understanding about another, or to utilize our skills in problem solving or diplomacy. When we do this, our focus shifts from being burdened or put upon to curiosity and willingness to see what’s in front of us through eyes of appreciation. As we see everything that comes into our lives as a gift, our reactions shift, and we look for the silver lining in seeming clouds, and for the pearl of great price beyond the irritation. It’s worth trying because we have nothing to lose, and possibly a world of good to gain!