Week 41: Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

Yesterday was a pretty amazing day.  The night before on Friday, my husband mentioned that one of his lung cancer patients was raising money for lung cancer and was participating in the "2011 Free to Breathe" race.  He said that he would like to participate and wanted to know if I would like to join him.  "Sure" I responded.  A nice 3.1 mile run in the morning sounded good and it was for a good cause.  Little did I know what I was about to gain from that little decision.

We arrived the next morning and registered for the race.  600 people were there.  It was a beautiful fall morning and the excitement was in the air.  Many people wore signs who they were running "In memory" for.  Some of the people had green shirts on.  They were special, because they had lung cancer and were running for themselves.  One of them was my husbands patient.  She was ecstatic to see us.  She greeted my husband with a big smile and warm words of gratitude to him for supporting her.   Before the race started, she was able to speak to all the participants in gratitude for what they were doing and for helping support lung cancer.  She mentioned gratitude for her family and even for her oncologist (my husband) for being there.  I could tell this meant a lot to her.

The race started and we actually did quite well.  But what was really rewarding was watching all the people cross the finish line in support of Free to Breathe and those with lung cancer.  I was touched by those in the green shirts who were racing for their lives.  

As we were waiting for the awards, my husband's patient was eager to introduce her parents, sister, and family members to my husband, her doctor.  I listened  to her parents thank my husband for helping their daughter and that just a year ago at the same race her mother didn't think they would be there yesterday.  How grateful they felt.  I sat there and listened to my husband's patient brag about and praise my husband to her family.  I sat in awe and listened to her say how much she appreciated and loved my husband for what he had done for her over this last year since she had been diagnosed.  Very sincerely she told me that my husband helps make her feel that she can do this.  Then she began to thank me for sharing him and how hard that must be for me to sacrifice being away from my husband so much so that he can help touch the lives of his patients for the better.

I was more than humbled as I sat and listened to what was being said.  I was humbled and grateful for this incredible husband I have and for the blessing I got to see first hand how his life touches the lives of others.  And I was humbled to be in the presence of this amazing woman who has not sat back and said, "Oh, poor me, I have cancer, I will just sit back and give up the fight", but who has stood with courage over this last year with a smile on her face and in service to others and in the fight for herself and others with cancer.

I walked away yesterday getting so much more out of this experience than I went in giving.  I walked away with a greater desire to be more like this amazing woman and to live my life with an attitude of gratitude for every day I have to live and for the little things I have, with the courage to make a difference in the world, with a desire to serve, to attack every day with a smile and positive attitude, and to never take anything for granted.    

I am grateful that Heavenly Father allowed me to have and learn from this experience.  It was truly a tender mercy that humbles me to strive to be better in all aspects in my life and to always be grateful for the little things.

This week's challenge: to live with an attitude of gratitude!