First World whining

The Friday Photo
A weekly photo inspired by art, community and spontaneity
February 15, 2013

February 15, 2013

I’ve  taken allergy meds twice a day along with a calcium and Vitamin D tablet for years. No big deal.

Two years ago I had to add Tamoxifen once a day to my pill regime. That really got under my skin when I realized there were too many pill bottles to fuss with when I traveled.

I caved and got a weekly pill reminder box. Less than three months into my second half century I was filling a pill reminder just like the one my grandfather had used. I felt so middle aged.

I loathed filling the box. I wouldn’t do it when I exhausted the week’s meds. I would trudge to the cabinet and open the bottles doling out one pill at a time from three different bottles twice a day.

Late last year I spent a weekend with powerful and mindful thinkers to help a friend find a better way to be the author, artist, business owner, teacher, parent, daughter, wife and advocate she is/wants to be.  Fabeku Fatunmise shaped and led our discussions. Fabeku is a Force Field of Super Powers, and his life’s work is grounded in helping other people find their Super Powers (we all have Super Powers but most of us, including me, cover them up with a bunch of stuff we think is “more important.”)

Early last month, on a Sunday, Fabeku posted an online comment about doing the things you must do (pay the light bill, etc) but not letting yourself be weighed down by those things. If you’re going to pay the light bill, pay the bill so you can get on to the things that make your life Kapow, where your Super Powers can shine.

Kapow! I finally got it. Instead of dreading filling that stupid pill box each Sunday and hating every second it took (seconds, not hours, why was I so chewed up about it anyway?) I decided to look at the box as a First World blessing.

I’m not taking 20 pills a day to keep a full-blown case of AIDS under control. I’m not battling mental illness and hoping the meds keep me in balance.

I’m taking Tamoxifen because cancer is behind me now, not in front of me.

That isn’t a First World problem. That is a First World blessing.

Kapow!

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