It’s that time of the year, friends! Our spring sniffles are here, tucked cozily in between our incessant sneezing and watery eyes. During this time of year, I typically wait for my allergies to pass so that I can experience spring in full swing. This year, however, my allergies have manifested into a realization:
I’m constantly taking my health for granted.
You’ve heard it before, and this isn’t the last time you’ll hear this: we are always taking our circumstances for granted. Whether you’re in college or working a full-time job or trying to make ends meet, there are parts in every one of our lives that we take for granted. Every time I’m not sick, I don’t think twice about washing my hands at the end of a long day when I’ve used the subway multiple times.
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When my friends suggest I take vitamins every day, I assume that my immune system is strong enough to protect me from whatever Vitamin C can. But my health, the reality that I usually feel good, isn’t something I should be taking for granted. When you’re not surrounded by anything but tissues and a box of DayQuil, odds are you’ve forgotten the last time you were sick and how miserable it felt. Before you know it, though, you’ve caught a germ and you’re back where you were in those forgotten moments.
Take some time to practice gratitude. You’re feeling good. You’re here, breathing, soaking up the first signs of spring. Take care of yourself every day, and not just when it is absolutely necessary.
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As I write this from the bed I’ve been sitting in all day, I can’t stop thinking about where I was a week ago, where the thought of being sick wasn’t even on my mind.
Once my DayQuil kicks in and this germ leaves my body, I will no longer view my “good health” as “normal,” because it isn’t. I could very well be back in this bed a month from now after forgetting how miserable it feels to be restrained to a bed and a bowl of soup.
So, reader, remember this: practice gratitude every day, acknowledge issues of privilege and accessibility (and lack thereof) when you’re healthy or recovering from an illness, and, if you’re lucky enough, don’t forget what it feels like to be you right now.