Even an enforced break can give you the chance to be grateful
Posted on 21st December 2022 at 07:49
After almost three years of successful evasion, I finally succumbed to Covid in this last week. Although often forgotten now, I can testify that this bug still has a nasty sting in its tail.
A few days of being bed-bound, though, have given me the opportunity to think while I have been awake. My pre-Christmas plans have had to change radically, of course, and I just haven’t felt festive at all. I can barely see a single flashing LED string or reindeer from where I lie. Not that I was really caring while coughing and spluttering.
However, I had already been thinking a lot lately about the attitude of gratitude. I know that even when suffering with this (still dreadful) illness, I will get better, and there are lighter days ahead. I have been given the chance to rest, to sleep when I need it, and to catch up on some reading. All these things I have been grateful for, as whatever I have been feeling, others have it way worse.
And, rather than thinking of this episode as a major imposition, I could view these last few days as a pit-stop, taking a break from the busy-ness. On my phone, I watched a half hour documentary featuring presenter Adrian Chiles taking a winter walk along the North Yorkshire coast with nothing but a 360-degree camera to record his thoughts and the surrounding beauty. It lifted me as I love to ramble too (in both senses), and his mindful attention on his surroundings and thoughts gave me some ideas to bring into my practice and teaching. It was a simple programme with simple messages and inspired me to keep focusing on my wellbeing and that of others.
Simplicity is key. Although I have felt awful, I am grateful for being allowed to slow down, to let simple things be a pleasure; a round of buttered toast, green tea with honey, a good read while staying warm under the covers, and a hot toddy of course ;)
I look forward to continuing into a simple 2023! Have a Merry Christmas, and don’t be afraid to apply the brakes, whether enforced or not. See you next year 😊
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