Treasures

I've been reflecting a lot on gratitude, and the ability to be thankful for what you have.  Too often people concentrate on the things that they have not got but really want rather than appreciating the treasures they have in front of them.

I've had my first week back at work, and although my class is quite large and it is not going to be an easy class, the children in it are by-and-large good kids.  Some have been dealt a raw deal by life, and some will challenge me through the year in a range of ways, but they are good kids at heart and I must remember that on the days that are less easy.  I'm spending a little bit of time this weekend writing a postcard to each of them welcoming them back to school and telling them one thing they've done this week that I appreciated.  I'll pop them in the post on Tuesday and wait for them to receive them in their mailbox at home.

And even on the days when my job feels difficult, challenging, frustrating and all those other things that teaching can be, I must remember that I have a job that I love, in a school where I feel valued, supported and appreciated.  So many people don't have jobs to get up for every day, or worse still, get up for jobs that they hate going to.

This afternoon I spent some time in the emergency department of our local hospital (not through choice, you understand, but because one of my nearest and dearest needed help.... situation resolved now, thank goodness!).  I was there about three hours, during which time we were helped by the receptionist, at least five different nurses, a doctor, two porters, an orderly and a radiographer.  Behind the scenes, somebody was running blood tests on our behalf.  There were periods of time when we were left to our own devices and didn't see anyone for a while, but the department was busy the whole Sunday afternoon that we were there.
A lady in the bed on the other side of the privacy curtain had been there a little longer than us, and she was clearly in some pain.  When her friends arrived she let rip about how bored she was, how she'd been ignored, how she'd been promised a bed on a ward in ten minutes' time (over an hour ago) and how she had no idea what was going on.  Her friends listened for a while, and I think they appreciated it was her pain and fear speaking, but finally one stopped her and said, "They're doing their best for you.  They're really busy out there, but they'll get to you when they can.  You're in the best place, and you're being looked after."
I wanted to go round the privacy curtain and give her friend a hug.  Because we are lucky.  When something goes wrong for us we can turn up to the hospital and be seen (in our case) within 3 minutes.  We get blood tests and x-rays, we get the machines that go 'ping' and monitor our vital signs.  An orderly changes the sheets on a bed as soon as a patient has left, and wipes everything down with sterile wipe and anti-bacterial spray.  We are offered a seat, chilled clean water to drink and a sandwich if we're there for a while.
We are lucky.

We should treasure these little things that we take for granted.  And that includes our nearest and dearest.  They are there as part of our lives, and it is important to tell them how much we appreciate that.

I'm grateful for my loved ones around me.  I appreciate the unconditional love that my dog shows every time I look her way.  I am thankful for the fact we have a great hospital in my town, that I have a car to get me there when I need to, that the staff are there with a smile on their faces even during the busy times, and that we had clean, comfortable surroundings while we were there.

I am especially grateful that I could bring my loved one home in one piece with me today.  That's the best feeling.