Time to Do Those Dishes

Now eight days after Kim's toe surgery, to say it has been painful for her, now flat on her back, is a huge understatement.  She is tough as nails and I've seen tears several times, despite the pain meds.  I've also found myself frustrated time and again at my inability to do less than half of what she was doing before the surgery, while working and taking care of her and our boys.  Slipping into 'Complaining', sometimes even out loud, it's remarkable how little Kim complains about any of it, including me.  Yet I struggle to remain 'Positive and Playful' about everything now on my plate.  I know, selfish, right? 

Kim shared this quote with me, "pain is inevitable, suffering is optional", something I'd read many times before in years past.  Funny how in the midst of life's chaos, it can be challenging to embrace wisdom like this.  She asked me what I thought it meant, while herself wincing in pain.  It didn't occur to me she might be telling me something.  Seeing a possible opportunity to help her, I began to explain that her pain, in fact anything we don't like, really offers a choice in how to take it and that her suffering was indeed optional.  It all has to do with how she chooses to see it.  I went on to urge her to try stepping fully into her pain, relishing the wonderful awareness and presence to life it allowed her without much effort at all.  I know, dumb move right? "Let me cut open your toe, saw down the bone, move the joint, put in a couple of screws and stitch you back up and offer the same wise words," she said.  I left off the expletives of course.  HA!

Come to think of it, guess I should take to heart this wisdom she just shared with me and stop 'Complaining' so much about my temporary state of affairs.  After all, I get the chance to take care of my wife who does the same for me and our boys every other day of her life, 24/7.  "Salad coming right up babe."  Now, time to do those dishes.