For All of My Tomorrows

                   Yesterday I went to work sick and as the night progressed I got worse and worse.

I felt horrible. My cough was unquenchable, my fever was the kind that makes you

feel bad all over, and my nose ran like a fountain.

Of course no one would come in to relieve me so I had to stick it out.

I went straight to bed and finally fell into a restless sleep.

I thought to myself and what possible good could come of this?

As I pondered I was thankful to be alive. My nose being stuffy made me

remember to give thanks for the breath. My sickness made me to think about

my patients with cancer who will not get better and to their sickness there will be

no end. It made me think of those with respiratory disease who will not breath better

tomorrow.  As I rest in bed it made me to think of those who are in bed for life.

Those who won't be able to get up and go back to work in a few days.

It makes me to remember that even if I whine a little now tomorrow will

be better. I thank God for all my tomorrows.

Winter

Winter

Winter makes me think of toasty things like hot chocolate,

warm coffee and campfires,

Winter makes me think about family and friends and birds in the brown

grass begging for food.

It makes me think of how lucky I am to sit in a warm house and the embrace of 

warmth as it encircles me from head to toe as I sit in front of the

fire and hear the inviting crackle of the flames.

Winter makes me think of home.

Winter makes me think of people on the street who stand around a

barrel to warm their freezing hands. It makes me think of gloves

with missing fingers and blankets filled with holes. It make me think of the cold, of bone

chilling dampness and loneliness. It makes me think of the hungry and those with

no one to care. It makes me think of soup kitchens and animals which shiver in the

cold rain. It makes me think of how blessed I am.

Winter is many things to many people.

This winter I feel God and know that I am special.

This winter I am warm.