Recently, my interactions with God have really pushed me to a place that I have never been before. I am not as shaken by things in the world as much as I used to be. I have been reflecting on my fallouts and failures, and they don’t seem as big anymore. I realized that no matter how hard life gets, I am still blessed.
Today, I went to the doctor over a pulled muscle in my back. I got a little overconfident and distracted while doing squats and went down for the count. I spent the last two days on bed rest because moving was nearly unbearable. Back injuries are scary because you never know how serious they can be. Seriously, it took my five minutes to put on one sock but I’m still blessed.
I had a few brief moments thinking about how much worse things could be. I’ve had major injuries before but they healed pretty quickly and no permanent damage. I’ve broken my leg in four places, at one time, and it still healed without me needing surgery or to be reset. I’ve been in car accidents, fights, and so many more things but now they are just a faint memory and a small scar.
There have been a thousand times where I was heartbroken over a lost love, loved one, or opportunity, yet I survived. Every time I thought the world would end. It still kept moving and things worked out. It always feels like things are their darkest while you are in them. But, I made it through.
I was in health services, barely able to walk, and still didn’t feel as bad as the other people in there. Everyone looked so lifeless that while my back was as tight as a clenched fist, I was able to joke about me walking around with the Captain Morgan stance for two weeks. People laughed. It was nice bringing some levity to the room.
Interestingly enough, I stopped and had a conversation with one of the lab techs that was playing Anita Baker. Turns out, his mother’s maiden name is Spann. I decided to call my Aunt because she keeps the Spann family genealogy. Apparently, both of us have family from South Carolina. We might be related and I wouldn’t have known without making light of a less than great situation.
Sometimes we wallow in the darkness when we should jubilate. Not because of the moment we are in but because of the moments we will be in. Positivity attracts positivity and you never know what you will find on your way. I might have accidentally found a cousin in the doctor’s office. You never know.
What’s a bright side of a tough situation you’ve endured? Any good stories of spontaneous surprises? Leave your stories in the comments below.