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Priorities

3/17/2014

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Priority:  something that is regarded as more important than another.

What are your priorities?

To take for granted:  to value something or someone too lightly; to expect something to be available all the time and forget that you are lucky to have something.

What do you take for granted?

Stop what you are doing for a few minutes and think about your priorities for the day...what did you do already today, what do you have planned for later, what about this weekend, or this month, what about three months from now or six months, what about next year?  Think about your goals, with your career, your family, travel...look back even to what you may have posted on Facebook or Twitter...what are you prioritizing?

Now take another few minutes and try really hard to pretend that you can only think about this day, this moment.  Pretend that when you got up this morning from the time you opened your eyes you had to think about how it would be today to sit up, put your feet on the floor and walk to the bathroom, and get ready for the day.  Pretend that everything for this day needed to be planned in the moment and all the things you take for granted, walking, getting dressed, shaving, eating, driving...they all needed to be a priority.  Finally imagine that you cannot think too far ahead into the future...not more than a month or two and if you do, you have to think that maybe you will not be able to walk, or get yourself ready, or drive or even breathe, if you think that far ahead you should probably plan that maybe you won't be able to do the things you are doing today.

If you are honest with yourself, you probably thought about all the activities that are coming with the spring and summer season.  The vacation you are going to take or the one you want to take.  You are probably thinking about things like spring cleaning, and yard work, outside activities as the weather begins to turn warm.  You may be thinking of work or what things you need to do, what home improvements need to be done after this hard winter.  I bet it is hard to think about prioritizing things like getting up in the morning and getting ready...usually we don't even have to think about that, we certainly don't have to think about whether or not we will be able to walk or breathe by our summer vacation to the beach.

I am sure you have heard people say, no one knows when their time is up, or any one of us could die today.  Yes that is true, and I am sure you have heard the phrases about living in the moment because tomorrow is not promised.  No, tomorrow is not promised, no one knows when their time is up on this earth.  How many of us actually live in the moment, do our actions reflect that tomorrow is not promised?  If you think about it, how many things do you take for granted?

ALS makes one think about these things.  Priorities...

Bert and I talked this weekend about how ALS becomes a priority.  We talked about how we are adjusting to our "new normal" (we hate that phrase because there is nothing normal about ALS).  We talked about ALS because it has made our priorities different now; we are not focused on the whirl wind of things that happen around us even though they continue to happen.  We talked about how much energy ALS takes and how even though the disease is one of weakness it really makes you stronger in so many ways.  We talked about our priorities, our kids, our marriage, our love for each other, family...I told Bert it is my priority to keep him safe and cared for so that he never feels scared, I told him he is my priority and Sophia and Alex are my priority.  We talked about how we still believe in the future...that believing is having faith.  We talked about what it feels like to wake up each day and feel so truly and purely happy that we have this day.  What is feels like to not take anything for granted because you can't.  We talked about how ALS has shown us what is really important.

So once again a positive, ALS put before us another positive...it feels exhilarating to take nothing for granted, to feel thankful for every moment you have, to live with everything so clear, to feel empowered when an obstacle is put before us and as a family we can overcome it, accomplishment!

ALS takes but it also gives, it gives freedom to live in the moment, to not take things for granted, to feel good when you can overcome.  I am proud of Bert; he overcomes many obstacles each day and continues to remain positive and grateful which sets and example for my family to follow.  He has an amazing sense of humor and we laugh every day.  This is our priority now, to enjoy each other, to laugh, to savor each day.  

It's probably not realistic to think everyone can live like it's their last day on earth, but if you try each day to at least take one moment and be truly grateful for it you can start to really appreciate this life.  

To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people just exist.  ~ Oscar Wilde
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above photo by Paul Kuehnel Daily Record