Thanksgiving. I’m trying – really hard – to have a constant flow of gratitude this month. It seems like everyone (from politicians to family members) are really snappy lately. It’s so easy to criticize and judge and add comment to whatever floats by our collective conscious. In this month of Thanksgiving, however, maybe a reflective pause or a “count to ten before responding” would be a good exercise.
“They’d complain if their ice were cold.” Do you know people like this?* People who’d complain whether or not they have a reason to. I hear a lot with our community … “if only we had _____ it’d be better” or “you have ____ in your town? You are soooo lucky!” Maybe if we pause and reflect, we’ll see that it’s not so bad; in fact, we have it pretty good.
This is National Rural Health Day, and it’s the time of year to appreciate all the great things we are fortunate to have regarding our access to health. Do people in the big cities have it better because they have more services available closer? (No; have you been to a big city hospital ER? It’s usually a very long wait.) I remember when I started here back 27 years ago. The comment I heard was, “That small hospital is just a Band-Aid station and I wouldn’t go there” … until they save your life.
Rural healthcare is more than the local hospital. It’s EMS, it’s the First Responders, it’s the clinics and the local doctors and food pantries and wellness centers … it’s a complex system of dedicated people who work together to help make your lives healthier and better. I might be a tad bit biased, but Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics has by far the best group of people and the best services offered of any rural community in the world. We are truly the bomb.
My rural community is full of people who care deeply. I tell my friends across the nation all the time that I am so incredibly blessed. If I don’t have a continuous flow of gratitude all the time – then something is seriously wrong with me.
What are you constantly thankful for?
*… maybe I’m a person like that?? Horrors.
