Owls and Orchids

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher

It has been an unpleasant 24 hours.  Not very much of  what I thought was going to happen, did in fact happen.  I guess in some ways that’s what life is all about, but it doesn’t mean we always have to enjoy it.

I had an uncomfortable and sleepless night on Sunday. Despite thinking I was prepared for my ‘medical procedure’ I found that I was more than a little concerned about the many ‘what ifs?’ At the same time I was being pragmatic and telling myself it made little difference since I had already agreed to this and I simply had to ‘grit my teeth and bear it”, something my mother was fond of saying.

With very mixed emotions my husband and I went to the offices where the procedure was to take place.  Each time we have been it has been a seamless process and, quite unusual for these places, very much on time.  Way to go for the not waiting hours syndrome!

Then we sat and sat, and then sat some more. Eventually we were approached to work out what was supposed to be happening.  Time for the withheld angst to start to seep out!

It appeared that the person making the bookings last week – well, in short, she stuffed up completely! Instead of booking me in for the procedure I had steeled myself for, she re booked me for the one I had already had a week earlier.  D’Oh!!!

image from acclaimimages.com

OK, we have it sorted out, the booking has been pushed in for 4pm today! I have spent another 24hrs worrying about what this is going to be like. (Last appointment of the day and squeezed in to boot is not my idea of an optimal arrangement). It wasn’t the one thing which made it a ‘drama’, it’s the on flow to everything else.  Time my husband has to take off work to chauffeur me around since I am not allowed to drive afterwards. (Not that I could after the last two tests!) Rearranging all our appointments to fit it in the first time – which of course has thrown the schedule out the window and now rearranged to fit this in today.  He is now in Brisbane, alone, when we had planned on being there together.

I’m lucky, I know that. I can rearrange it to fit in today when other people may not have been able to do that. Yet tomorrow I have an appointment in Brisbane, one where I’m meant to be relaxed and rested so I can concentrate. This, now,  may be difficult, to say nothing of any pain and discomfort  traveling less than 24 hours after the procedure, when I have already been warned the pain is increased for a week afterwards. An hour and a half each way… not much, but enough.

image from peoplespharmacy.com

Alright, it’s time to get that new slant back. I have my blog back ( a slight technical issue which left me feeling bereft for the past day).  I have the appointment for today and confirmed the next  one in a weeks time.  I do have my appointment tomorrow, which, even if it causes a little pain getting there, is well worth it.  In fact I’m so excited about it I can barely keep still, at least for the moment.

I am grateful that things have worked out. Suddenly, all these hurdles seem insignificant. I truly am grateful that it has been sorted out so easily.  The rest will take care of itself as we go along and I have my husband to lean on.

image from thirdage.com

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero

What a wonderful gift that is.  Yes, life is good.