Week In Review - Ten Things Of Thankful (11)

First of all, "I'm all well again" won't not be among my ten things, still dealing with the bronchitis, and still not sure if I will be up to returning to work on Monday. But nevertheless, there are plenty of things to be thankful for last week:

1. My hubby, who's taking care of me, and keeps everything going somehow while I drag along (while he is not feeling 100% himself)

2. The girls for their songs, pictures, cuddles, and pads on the back. And of course for their patience with their slow mom.

3. The sunflower on my porch, who hasn't realized quite yet that it's fall.

4. The mom at Lily's kindergarten who envited her for an afternoon of play because she knew that I wasn't sick.

5. That hubby's surgery was postponed (due to him being not completely healthy either). I wouldn't have known how to take care of him yesterday. Hope that we both get better soon and his surgery can be re-scheduled, soon!

6. My Dad not being mad at me for forgetting his birthday (remembered a few hours later and called again, SO embarrassing!!).

7. Being able to eat again.

8. The row of medications I have access to to help make me feel better.

9. An understanding boss, who doesn't try to rush me back into the office.

10. Feeling the first time like myself again this morning, not the sick clone of myself that has taken over the last weeks. Sick clone made a re-appearance later in the day, but it's a progress.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and thank you to Lizzi for hosting!

School Doesn't Teach That!

I really love today's prompt of Jenni's "Blog Every Day In May"-challenge: Things you've learned that school won't teach you.

I appreciate that I had the chance to go to school in Germany, but still there are plenty of skills that no school will be able to teach you. The greatest skill life taught me is patience.

I've never been a patient person. I'm a planner, doer, and control freak. If there's an issue, I'll go and fix it. Until I encountered the first major obstacle, when there was nothing for me to do but wait. Needless to say, that didn't go well; it's embarrassing to mention, but tantrums ensued that would have made every toddler proud.

And thanks to the Army, there were plenty of occasions to practice patience. Waiting for orders, waiting for appointments at the on-post hospital, waiting for the hubby to come home.

And once we finally received our ETS orders, I got to keep learning: waiting for the call back after a job interview, waiting on the decision whether we would get the apartment, and most recently, waiting on our building permit.

There are times, when the learning process is difficult. When the uncertainty causes me having panic attacks and insomnia, but I have learned methods to cope. I have learned that there are things I cannot influence, and freaking out won't help a thing. So I need to distract myself, even if it's hard in the beginning. I have learned how to calm myself actively through meditation and breathing techniques.

I have to admit, I am almost thankful for all the challenges, because it helped me acquire a skill that helps me whenever I have to leave my comfort zone: being patient, wait without freaking out and driving the hubby up the wall by running around like crazy, trying to do something, no matter how senseless it is. Patience to focus my energy on enjoying my time with my family, give the best I can at work, and don't waste my time on worrying and generally freaking out.

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