A State Of Mind

As I awakened this morning and opened my eyes to look at the clock, all I could see was a whitish blur where the clock numbers should have been. It was an awful feeling, but I stayed calm and blinked my eyes until moisture came into them.

I then looked at the clock and the numbers read "6:29" (AM). I could also see other images in the room although the clock was the focus of my attention.

As I laid in bed, I thought of my legs. What if just as suddenly as the blur had occurred in my eyes, I could no longer use my legs or was unsteady on them? As I could move and feel my toes, it was a relief but I wouldn't know for sure about my legs until I walked on them which I did a short time later.

These are not pointless concerns. My 90 year old friend Betty Tisdale, a woman who has and continues to help numerous orphans and was responsible for "Operation Baby Lift" rescuing in all 3300 orphans from Vietnam in April, 1975, suffered a sudden stroke on April 15th. We hope this remarkable lady makes a full recovery.

Many people take their health for granted but a stroke, heart attack, a diabetic coma or other catastrophic occurrence can suddenly happen to anyone. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt came down with polio abruptly and for the rest of his life, he would never again have use of his legs.

So I never take good health and all of its blessings for granted. Yesterday, I walked far and wide with my 7 year old grandson Brody and now as I laid in bed, I felt the joy of having a fast asleep Anne snuggled alongside of me.

As I got out of bed, my eyes worked well, as did my legs. All of a sudden the recent low back pain I have been enduring seemed like nothing and I felt deeply thankful for the many blessings in my life.

Dick