Why Me?

Sometimes it gets hard reminding yourself to always be thankful.  Like when you have a day that is just too busy to feel good, or you miss out on something you really want to do.  It can be so easy to throw your hands up and say, “Why me?” and feel like you deserve better.  I am guilty of that.  I admit it.  But, I am also lucky enough to have a loud-mouth inner voice to remind me just how lucky I am.

Here is an example.  I really want to fly in to see family at the end of this month.  The stars aligned for me to be able to fly one-way and then ride home with my Aunties, passing through Arkansas to see my family there as well as my family at home.  Being pretty far away from nearly all of my family makes seeing them a deeply held desire on my part.  I was looking for tickets and realized I simply couldn’t afford to go.  (Well, I could, but only if I didn’t eat until then.) I called my Mom and gave her the news, and then was offered an essentially free ticket!  Wow!  I could actually do this!

Unfortunately, after checking my calendar at work it became clear that fifty free tickets wouldn’t really work.  The dates were not flexible for the trip home, and I simply can’t be away for those days.  Shoot.  Dang.  Dirty word, dirty word, hurumph.  WHY ME???????

“Shut up Idabelle!” came the resounding sound of my inner voice pulling me up short.  So you can’t go right now… So what?  You can go later, or call each and every person on the phone to say, “I love you.”  How many people don’t have that luxury? How many people do you know that can’t talk to their Moms, or hear their Grandmother’s voice, or even afford to drive across town, much less state-to-state?  Stop complaining and start counting… your blessings!

You know what,  my inner voice was absolutely right.  I am blessed to have so much and so many of my loved ones with me, just a phone call, text, email away.  I am lucky to have a job, one that I love that keeps me busy and surrounds me with people who care and support me as I work to be a better me.  I am thankful for all these things, and so many more. So, that is why me.  Because I am fortunate to have the problem of not being able to go right now, and the blessing of knowing that I still have the option later.

True story.