The danger of thinking

We all go through life experiencing different firsts. The first time you drive a car. The first time you move. The first time you go out of the country.

A little more than a week ago, I experienced a first in my own life. This kind of first I wouldn’t have minded going my whole life without experiencing, but it was inevitable. I had surgery. Nothing life threatening or terribly dangerous, but that doesn’t mean it has been easy. And in less than two weeks, I have to endure another surgery.

Life post-surgery has been interesting. Thus far, I have learned what it’s like to actually need to ride in a wheelchair, what it feels like to be in so much pain that you cannot stop the tears and what it is like to depend on people for your every need.

But it hasn’t been all terrible. I have now mastered the crutches, and taking a few laps around the first floor of my house is mere child’s play. And, I must admit, I’m not complaining that my siblings are willing to bring me food, pop in movies and retrieve whatever I need for me.

Despite the fact that I have basically been living on the couch for more than a week now, which to some might seem like the good life, I have recently started to feel a little restless. If this was just one surgery, then I would just enjoy the down time and be done with it. But just knowing that this is going to last about seven more weeks makes me restless.

I think about the fact that I am not making any money this summer, and that makes me anxious about college bills. I think about the fact that I cannot do any cardio exercise for who knows how long, and I feel out of shape. I think about how much harder it now is to get together with friends this summer, and I feel out of touch.

Each time I think these things, I come to the same conclusion: I have absolutely no right to be complaining about any of this! I get myself into a destructive attitude by letting my thoughts get out of control. I know that I am not alone in destructive thinking. We all allow ourselves to walk down that path every now and then.

I heard something during a Bible study once that has stuck with me. Every time I allow thoughts to come into my mind that will only cause the destruction of my attitude for the next few hours, I start thanking God for the blessings in my life. I am reminded that Paul tells us in Philippians not to be anxious about anything, and he had learned to be content in any and every situation.

It is then I realize that, while my pain is temporary, some have to live their whole lives in pain. I realize that, while I cannot walk for eight weeks, some cannot walk their entire lives. And I realize my “problems” and the things that I thought were ruining my summer were actually teaching me a lesson from the God who provides me with everything I need.

I would encourage everyone to give this a try. Each time you start to let your thoughts get out of control, praise God for every blessing he has given you. Pretty soon, you won’t be thinking about how frustrated you are with your life. You’ll realize how blessed you truly are.   

Days like today

Days like today are the kind that one pictures when thinking about lazy summer days – the sun is shining, there is a soft breeze blowing and the smell of fresh cut grass, which I happen to love, is drifting in the air. 

Days like today, I just want to lie under a tree with a glass of lemonade and a good book. Days like today, however, are about so much more. Today is not just about getting a good tan or finishing that exciting chapter in my book. Today is about remembering my grandfather and my great uncles who gave so many years of their lives to serving this country. Today is about realizing how wonderful it is to be able to sit under a tree and read a book in a free country.

I cannot understand how people can look at pictures, walk through memorials and listen to stories about brave men and women giving their lives so we can live ours freely and not feel pride. Every time I think of my grandfather, who was a rear admiral in the Navy, and about my great uncles, some of who were POW's, I get an overwhelming feeling of pride. Not only the fact that they fought to ensure a better future for their family brings pride, but also the fact that they fought to ensure a better future for strangers, for their fellow Americans, brings pride.

Today, instead of just enjoying the good weather, we also remember the fallen. We remember those who have given their lives to protect this country. We remember and thank not only the family members, but also the strangers who have put aside a normal life of lemonade and reading books under trees to give us all something that is worth fighting for.    

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.
~Francis Marion Crawford

My big fat Greek family

The impact that one person can make on a family can be incredible. I saw this in action this past weekend as I celebrated my great aunt’s 90th birthday. I was not celebrating alone, however. The side of the family that my great aunt belongs to is Greek, so as you can imagine, I was celebrating with more than 50 family members!

It was fascinating to look out across the room and watch a sea of people that I lovingly call my big fat Greek family celebrate together. Some people I was meeting for the first time, while others I had only met once or twice before this party. The part that fascinated me the most was the fact that I have a large number of family members that I know absolutely nothing about. And to think that they all came from just one young girl’s decision to sail across the ocean from Greece to America.

It kind of scares me to think how our decisions impact those around us, even those who aren’t in our lives at the present moment. If my great grandmother had not gotten on that boat, then I never would have been able to enjoy the pleasures of baklava, Greek dancing or loud Greek relatives.

As I watched everyone throughout the party visiting, laughing, dancing and eating, I thought of how much courage my great grandmother must have had to venture out at the age of 14 to a place that was completely foreign to her. I was wondering if I would have that same courage. Would I be able to leave my family and start an adventure in a place that I really know nothing about?

And then I thought maybe I don’t have to know if I would have the courage. Maybe I just have to learn from her and from my great aunts and uncles who carried on her legacy. We spend too much time wondering if we have what it takes. If we were in such and such a position, would we have the courage and stamina to do what that person did?

But I think we have it all wrong. The most rewarding thing that we can do is to learn from the courage and the decisions that were made before us in order to strengthen our own decisions.

Whenever I think of people like my great grandmother, I feel inadequate, because I picture myself not being strong enough if I were ever in their position. But that is not the impact that they wanted to leave us. I think that my great grandmother would rather have me learn to be courageous in my own ways instead of wondering if I would have the courage to do what she did.

This past weekend, I saw just how many people have learned from this courage. Just the fact that we were celebrating a 90th birthday proves how my great grandmother’s dedication and perseverance has trickled down throughout the rest of her family. That and her love for koulourakia!