N=1 - One of those days

I'm having one of those days.

Everyone has them. Chronically ill or not, you know what I mean. I'm not in the mood to write. I'm not in the mood to be witty, or persuasive, or even well-read. Part of my bleak outlook is disease related. I've been swallowed by a terrible flare all week, and this monster's digestive tract is something fierce. I just want to go to bed.

But my mood is also the result of the daily burdens of life. A good life, I might add. A life to be grateful for.

I have two beautiful children (both of whom, consecutively, ran fevers this week. Do you think they could have run those fevers on the same day, so I could get it all over and done with at once? No.)

I have a wonderful, supportive husband (who, in order to be supportive must travel for work. He got to miss the late night double fevers. He was in L.A., supporting us.)

And I live in a great town, in a big, beautiful house (but my house cleaner had surgery last week, which taught me a valuable lesson - I am not well enough to clean my big, beautiful house by myself. The scrubbing is what triggered my flare).

Flares pass. Bad days pass. Even grief passes. Most days I let optimism drive my chariot, like many of my fellow bloggers - Shauna James Ahern says "yes" to her life, Sara Gorman encourages optimism despite chronic challenges, MaxJerz writes about finding unconditional love for yourself while letting go of being superwoman. And even I, Dr. Data, found research supporting cheerfulness.

I love my blessed life. Sometimes I even love my illness, because it has forced me to slow down and appreciate my family more.

But what do I do on the bad days? Counting my blessings doesn't seem to be working today.

Must run... my precious sick boy calls.