Good morning! I hope your day is starting off well.
It’s been a while since I last posted – just very busy between work and trying to enjoy this extended RV trip. Which, by the way, I highly recommend whatever form of rest & relaxation you’re into. It makes a world of difference. More on that later.
For several months, my wife has been concerned about my health. She noticed a lot of subtle changes that escaped me, but that’s the way it usually goes. I’m not always the first to pick up on things. But over the past month, I’ve noticed an issue maintaining focus, and my memory was slipping badly. That’s hard for a guy like me to handle.
Then last Monday, my left hand went suddenly numb. I wrote it off to some long-term circulation issues and went about my day. Two days later, I couldn’t type, my feet were dragging and getting in the way of one another, and the confusion was more pronounced. If your mind went straight to “stroke,” you’re smarter than I am, because that’s what it was. My carotid artery was 85% blocked and had been releasing small pieces of plaque for three days.
First things first – if you ever have ANY symptoms of a stroke, don’t mess around with it. Get help right away. The doc told my wife if one decent sized piece of plaque had broken loose, the whole mess would have gone straight to my brain. Needless to say, God had my back on that one. This could have turned out completely different, and I’m blessed to still be upright.
A few more thoughts I’d like to share. I’ve often said we all need to have a Plan B – something to fall back on just in case life takes an unexpected turn. It doesn’t matter how secure you are, how well things are going, or how great a job you’ve got, things can change in an instant. Our best-laid plans can be overturned, leaving us to pick up the pieces with little or no notice. That’s scary.
Whether it’s a side income, a regular savings plan, family nearby, or whatever, we all need to ask ourselves from time to time, “What would I do if I lost what I have today, and had to continue without it?” I’m not saying we should dwell on it every day, but it’s a very real possibility we all need to consider.
And, once you have some thoughts in mind, don’t wait until something bad happens. Get started today. Needs don’t go away, and time isn’t always on our side. I’ve said this before, and it bears repeating – dig the well before you get thirsty. Then all you have to do is turn it on. If that day never comes, you’ll just be that much more secure.
Beyond all that, enjoy life. I’ve never once read a tombstone that brags about a person’s job or how hard they worked. All it has is a couple of dates. Our life is everything that falls in between. Enjoy it. Make the most of it. Kids will get by, and your job will be posted before the obituary. Make time to enjoy the things you’ve worked to achieve. You only get one chance.
That’s all for now. I’m so happy to have this chance to reach out again. Pay attention to your health, get to work on that Plan B, and enjoy every day on this planet. Have an awesome day!
© 2023 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved