She gave
some facts about the disease, when she started feeling symptoms, and some of
her feelings leading up to the operation, but her reaction when she was
extubated (that was a new word for me; it’s when the tube they use to help you
breathe during surgery and recovery is removed) was what hit me.
When that
tube was removed, she remembered the deep breath she was able take. Deeper than any breath she could ever remember
taking. She had been sick so long she didn’t even know how refreshing and
energizing a deep breath could be.
At that
moment in the conversation I stopped and thanked God for deep breaths!
You see, I
don’t ever recall thanking God for that. For my whole life I have been
negligent to thank God for the 23,040 deep breaths I take every day. For the
over 8 million deep breaths I take every year. For the nearly half a billion
deep breaths I have taken since I took my first breath.
I wonder what else I haven’t thanked God for?
As we enter
into this season of Thanksgiving it would serve us well to thank God for the
literally billions of blessings we so easily forget are blessings. For the
miles our healthy legs have taken us. For the scores of music our ears have
listened to. For the thousands of sunrises and sunsets our eyes have seen. For
the pleasures of life that have brought innumerable smiles to our mouths. For
the pleasant aromas that have wafted up our nostrils. For the spices and
flavors and seasonings that have delighted our taste buds. For the gentle
touches of loved ones.
For deep
breaths.
Wouldn’t it
be exhilarating to appreciate each deep breath like it was our first? To
delight in every step, sight, aroma, spice, and touch and cherish them as if we
previously couldn’t walk, see, smell or feel. How amazing life would be.
How amazing
life is! So amazing, you might even say it’s breathtaking!
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