We're all Winners,...Maybe

It was the “Sports day” for all the special needs kids in the school district today. Jim did not want to go because they give out what he calls “loser awards” or what everyone else calls participation awards. He gets so mad that everyone gets an award “even people that don't even try”. He went on quite a rant: when he wins a race he doesn't want the same as everyone else, he wants special recognition, when he excels at something he wants people to acknowledge his success. I told him the participation ribbons were just to keep track of what “games” the kids had played, and just go enjoy playing the games anyway. Apparently he followed my advice, when he got home he said he had fun, he was disappointed that they didn't run a “sprint” because it is his best race and after some coaxing he even let me take a picture of him with his “loser ribbons”

The Bad and the Good

I was thinking today about how incredibly deeply grateful I am for Jim's successful surgery and lack of seizures for the last three months. It has truly been a miracle. I really can't believe what a change it has been in our lives. It makes me feel like dancing around with a goofy smile plastered allover my face. As I was thinking about this I thought about my other children, was I grateful that they hadn't had seizures in the last three months also? Well of course but, I wouldn't think of doing my happy dance because one of my other sons had not had any seizures. Why? well it's because they had never did have any seizures.

We often don't recognize the blessings we have been given until we go without them for a time. We don't notice how good we have it until we experience the bad. Perhaps that is why we have so many "difficulties" in this life. It is  to help us to be grateful for all the blessings that otherwise we would ignore. And gratitude makes us happy. So now I'm off to dance some more.