Just A Moment

I had a second back procedure done two weeks ago hoping for better results. The doctor spent a lot of time trying to remove a cyst from my spine, explaining afterwards that it was in a really difficult, tight location. Immediately afterwards the pain was mostly gone and it felt like I was walking on air.

In fact, I felt so good I decided to go to a baseball practice over the weekend. I mostly wanted to see my friends, but I also wanted to test out my body and see if I was able to move around good enough to play catch, take some grounders and/or hopefully swing a bat. It was so great to see my baseball buddies because I haven’t played a game in over 4 months and I’ve missed those guys terribly. But as soon as I started practicing, I was like a kid in a candy store, grinning from ear to ear as I caught fly balls in the outfield and then hit fly balls to the outfield. Just to be able to run around on a baseball diamond and smell the green grass was absolutely magical for me. I didn’t realize I missed it so much.

After practice I was excited to spend time catching up with my friends, but I was shocked by what I heard. I thought I was the only one having a medical issue but to my surprise and sadness, almost everyone there was dealing with a really difficult problem. One friend had a brain tumor several years ago, and unfortunately it has now come back. Another friend needs an operation on both of his eyes but found out his insurance won’t cover the high cost of the procedure. A third friend has an internal issue that is causing him a great deal of pain but he doesn’t have any insurance so he can only try over the counter herbs, which aren’t really helping. And a fourth friend couldn’t make the practice because he had to have neck surgery.

I realize I’m 61 years old, so I am bound to have some medical issues. But most of my friends are not that old, they’re only in their forties or early fifties, so why are so many bad things happening to them right now? Why are these guys, all of whom are outstanding, honest, hardworking family men, having to suffer so much? I guess the basic question is, why do bad things happen to good people? All the way home that question kept burning through my brain… and hurting my heart.

When I got home I offered up a prayer for myself and my friends. I obviously prayed for healing but I also prayed for understanding, that no matter what happens here on earth we are able to handle it by focusing on the positive and remembering that are time here is short, that we are truly only here for “just a moment”. I guess it was good to pray for understanding because within a few more days my back and leg pain came roaring back.

I'm not a minister or a bible scholar or even all that smart, so I can't tell you why we have to suffer during our time here on earth. But when I think about the blessings I have been given and the ultimate blessing of life everlasting, it helps me to maintain the right perspective. Especially if I look at it this way... I can be sick for "just a moment". I can have pain for "just a moment". I can be lonely for "just a moment".  I can struggle for "just a moment". Why? Because it's not about me anyway... and it's certainly not about now!

Life is like a tree and its root is faith. 

Once we tend to the root, the tree as a whole will be healthy.

 ~ Deepak Chopra