Finding an Unlikely Silver Lining

With Thanksgiving upon us, it is common practice for people to remember the things that they are thankful for.  Many people are mistakenly inclined to think that I may not have much to be thankful for, considering the fact that I am a ventilator dependent quadriplegic.  How wrong they are though!  The brutal reality is I am fortunate in that I am still alive, healthy, and have all my faculties.  I appreciate first and foremost that I survived my accident as intact as I am, and have an incredible support network to help me navigate the difficulties in life, which goes without saying for those who have read Tribute to My Family.  There are so many things which could be much worse, but that is just the beginning… 

I believe that if we look deeply into our lives, even those circumstances which are less than ideal, or even downright tragic, typically will have a silver lining or two.

In addition to the fact that I have survived and surmounted large obstacles, there are numerous small and trivial aspects of my daily life that I can be thankful for.  Most of these may seem superficial and ridiculous, but they are the unexpected benefits to being paralyzed and in a wheelchair that I regard as little silver linings.  Below I have a list of some of these silver linings, which may make me appear vapid and shallow; however, these little bonuses are a way of bringing my spirits up and bringing laughter to the people in my life.  When I share these silly little positive perks, people are able to find mirth in my situation, rather than get caught in a downward spiral of woe.

So, for your entertainment, the benefits of being me:

• When I am exercising on my functional electrical stimulation bike and get tired, I have to ask somebody to stop the bike, rather than just end my ride.  This forces me to take pause and actually think about whether or not I want to be a quitter, which of course usually means I keep going.  Furthermore, if I were to decide to give up, I have the second layer of defense in that the person assisting me is not going to let me wimp out.  Therefore, my workouts always tend to be productive.  (To learn more about my adaptive biking equipment read: "I Want to Ride My Bicycle, I Want to Ride My Biiiiiiiiiiike")

• Similarly, it is easy for people to subconsciously graze on snacks that are sitting out, even if they are not hungry.  I tend not to snack on things without really wanting them, as I have to stop, think, and ask before I snack.  My waistline is particularly thankful that I have to make a cognizant decision before diving into a bowl of chips.

• The combined effects of the previous two perks of being a quadriplegic help keep me from getting fat.  Everybody wants to stay slim and trim; it might just be a little bit easier for me.  I call it the quadriplegic diet. However, before you jump on the bandwagon of this fad diet, please be advised the costs are not worth the benefits! 

• I am sure most of us have been at the movie theater, and right at the most exciting moment we can no longer hold our bladder after guzzling those giant concession stand sodas.  At the risk of over sharing, having to rely on catheters and collection bags, which typically seems like a drag, suddenly becomes advantageous and downright convenient.

• Since I never use my hands for anything, particularly activities such as dishes that can mess up a manicure, my nails always look great.  Furthermore, my manicures last much longer due to the eliminated risk of chipping during mundane daily chores.  And speaking of mundane daily chores, they exhaust me!  My "job" is to sit there, look pretty, and on top of everything else, keep the working person company.  Talk about tedious!

Supervising the weekly chores — good thing there was somebody to make me lunch, because I worked up quite the appetite keeping everyone on task!

I warned you that this list would be ridiculous and cheesy, much like the tradition of naming something you are thankful for when gathered around the Thanksgiving table.  However, I believe that if we look deeply into our lives, even those circumstances which are less than ideal, or even downright tragic, typically will have a silver lining or two.  These positive aspects may be deep and meaningful, or trivial and superficial; either way, with enough creativity one can find something to be thankful for regardless of the burdens in one's life.

I hope you are able to find the best parts of every aspect of your life.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!