Soak in the Small Things!

The Not So Small Things

Much of my career has been spent working with people with serious medical conditions - new traumas and chronic conditions.  I have been reminded continually how precious life is, and to embrace every person, every moment.  My patients and clients have inspired me and I'll share one with you.  

He had been in a coma for 2 weeks.  Then completed  2 months of rehabilitation.  He Learned how to walk again, bathe himself, feed himself, dress himself, tie his own shoes. I was there in the hospital room when he first started responding to to commands / coming out of the coma.  And 2 1/2 months later, I watched him walk out the doors with his family.  At the time of our outpatient meeting, he was a few months in to a very long journey.  Being able to drive or work again was in the distance, if ever.  He walked with a cane and struggled with a field cut in his vision.  His speech was slurred and he struggled with finding the right word he wanted to say.  His short term memory was very poor.  He wasn't allowed to supervise his young child alone.  Life had been turned upside down.  He'd lost "everything" in the eyes of outsiders. 

 But when I asked him to describe his mood, he used the words "thankful, blessed, and happy". He expressed that he gets to watch his little girl play.  He gets to walk to the mailbox and get the mail.  That was a big deal to him, as there was a time in the hospital that he didn't think he would ever be able to do any of those things again.  He wasn't going to wait until he was "better" to take in life.  He chose to take and enjoy each moment.

Unfortunately, it often takes a tragedy or trauma for us to find that deep appreciation for "the small things".  But it doesn't have to.  Make  a conscious decision to be truly present in every moment.  There's a lot of truth and depth to the classic "stop and smell the roses". Because when you add up all the small things, it equals a lifetime.   So make it a point to go barefoot in the grass.  Eat more Popsicles.  Notice more sunsets.  Laugh as much as possible. Take it all in.

"Life moves pretty fast. If You don't stop and look around every once in a while, you might miss it."  

                                         - Ferris Bueller

Tammy Lott is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has 15 years of counseling experience. Her areas of focus include: medical psychology, adjustment to disability, migraine and tension headaches, conversion disorder, stress management, anxiety and depression.