More important things

Earlier this week, as mentioned in the previous post, I was diagnosed by my family doctor with a case of norovirus, which is a nasty gut bug that can have everything coming out of everywhere. (I'll leave it at that.) Even though I was already feeling worlds better, this significantly derailed my plans for the week due to a continued quarantine, and as you might imagine, I was kind of annoyed by the setback.

I was looking through an old box of scrapbooking supplies when I found a homemade bookmark I'd received at church over a decade ago.  It was one of three handouts from the lesson in question, the third being long ago lost to time, but its sister having spent many years taped to my bathroom wall.  The one on my wall read, "Happiness is a grateful heart," and this rediscovered treasure quoted part of a scripture: "Always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive." (Alma 7:23)  I had been feeling decidedly ungrateful that day, due to my isolation and the fact I couldn't get the new cell phone I've been waiting almost a year to upgrade to and suddenly found I couldn't afford.  Nor could I afford to buy the folded business cards with the list of "10 great reasons why Moms need massage" to hand out at work.  Nor had I sold any gift certificates over the Black Friday weekend in spite of numerous tweets, Facebook posts, and ads on both Facebook and Google, which cost me over $50 that could have gone to rent.  Nor could I... nor could I... you get the picture.

Finding that bookmark woke me up, though.  Spreading a highly contagious bug just so I can go to work?  Bad idea.  Quarantine?  Good idea.  Folded business cards?  I can (and did, last night) print those up at home on an as-needed basis.  New cell phone?  Mine is still chugging along, it does not need immediate replacement; I have time to earn the money.  (Both Christmas and my birthday are coming up, too, so who knows.)  Expensive (to me) advertising?  I got my business out there again, and people were clicking the ads and seeing my site, even if no money immediately came of it.  That many more people are aware that Abundance Massage exists, and what I do.  That has to be worthwhile on some level.

I live in one of the wealthiest, freest countries on Earth.  My family is fairly upper middle class.  I have a comfortable, heated home, and clothes on my back.  My life is full of opportunity, and I am grateful.  A lot of people would do anything to have my "problems".  They get to me sometimes, but ultimately, I am blessed, and I have more important things to think about than exactly what I don't have.