Retrospective Lily

Perspective leads to gratitude and humility.

Perspective means realizing others’ life experiences may completely differ from ours. What we view as normal and what we expect depends on how we grew up, what we see around us, and of course our blessings/privileges.

From the viewpoint of an American suburbanite, conventionally-attractive, college-educated, millennial white woman from a loving, middle-class family with an awesome church family, things aren’t half-bad.

I expect most people to treat me with kindness and respect. I expect to have a strong support network whenever I need it. I consider myself smart and competent. I expect three meals a day plus snacks, a cell phone, and access to at least three streaming services (thanks, Mom and Dad). I’m accustomed to seeing people live in oversized houses stuffed to the brim with junk.

Not everyone has a loving family to fall back on, or has knowledge/skills/resources to better themselves, or receives acceptance from society, or has financial security, or has more than they need.

[Sidenote: Having a safe and steady upbringing is another blessing. My mom once worked as a landlord, and sometimes, people packed all their stuff and fled with their families in the night (because they were so behind on rent). I wonder how it would warp your thinking to grow up in an environment of instability and fear?]

Funny enough, many would think of someone like ME as an example of how things could be worse. Well, my life’s not perfect, but at least I can walk…

Not walking isn’t even the worst part of Friedreich’s Ataxia. Some would argue it’s the fatigue, or the lack of hand-eye coordination, or the potentially fatal heart issues. But I digress.

Perspective drives me to focus on what I have instead of what I lack.

When I struggle to do something that takes me way longer than it would an able-bodied person, my natural inclination is to feel frustrated, pity myself, curse the skies. FUFA! (a popular phrase in the FA community…I’ll let you put that one together)

I push myself to instead be thankful I can do it AT ALL. Emphasis on the verb “push.” Sometimes, all I can muster is gratitude with gritted teeth. But most days, I look on the bright side. Or at least try. 😉

I challenge you to make a list of 5 things you are thankful for RIGHT NOW. Share in the comments if you’d like!

1. My houseplants, thriving in the spring weather
2. The sunshine coming through the window beside me as I type
3. The ability to SEE so I can appreciate the bright blue sky and bright green grass outside the window
4. The sounds of birds chirping, which woke me up today and are still going
5. Access to clean water because I’m thirsty and about to go drink some