As I have no belief in a higher power, I struggle with the word "grateful". I am pleased with the way my life has turned out, but not sure I can thank anyone except the universe. As David says "we won the sperm lottery".
The other day I started to count all the things that are good in my life (our lives), and they stack up well against the challenges. All our difficulties can be classified under "first world problems".
Health
You'd think I would be the last person to wax on about good health - but I really feel as though we've negotiated the tough times pretty well. They've been navigated because I have always tried to do the pragmatic, healthy thing - and am convinced that's paid off. Fortunately for us, Laura, Kathryn and David don't appear to share any of my health challenges. The benefits of my circumstance is that both Kath and Dave are hyper-aware of their own habits, and make good health choices.
Social
Laura and I are fortunate to be surrounded by good friends. Not only are these people we've known for decades, but have new friends we've known for only a short time. The whole stroke recovery process for me has turned into one big social event. These are people I never would have met, and most of them are fascinating in very different ways. Laura and I have a few friends we see on our own, but for the most part we share the same network. The older I get, the more important our social lives has come to be. After spending time with other stroke survivors, some with major impairments, it's probably more important than health.
Kath and Dave
Maybe because of my situation(s), or maybe because of exposure through their friends, both kids aren't afraid to travel the world and try new things. I think they live more "in the present" than we ever did, and worry less about what tomorrow brings. It's unfair to compare where they are in their lives (as they both approach thirty) compared to where Laura and I were at the same age. The world is a very different place, and their ability to change and accommodate is light years ahead of ours. Their priorities seem more realistic as well.
Housing
Somehow we lucked out in the housing market. Even though we've moved around a fair bit, our first tiny home in Saskatoon has been leveraged into the condo we live in now. I think we've ended up exactly where we intended. I think for Kath and Dave, owning a home is not realistic in Vancouver. Maybe owning a home
anywhere isn't practical.
Rewarding Jobs
Both Laura and I have part time jobs that we enjoy. Laura is doing what she loves, and I do what I'm good at. My volunteering is starting to gain traction, and it's really rewarding. I don't think either of us would ever go back to full time employment - too restrictive!
Money Stress
We're certainly not rich. But we're not poor either. There will always be a little stress when we talk finances, and we've had to downsize our plans, but for the most part we've been able to do what we want and not freak out about the costs. Just being aware of costs is a big step forward!
Downsizing
One fortunate side effect of all the moving is we've gone through everything we own. Much of it has been given or thrown away. Life just feels more manageable when there's a lot less stuff. Everyone we know is still in a large house, and we don't envy the process they will (eventually) have to go through.
