Enjoy the Day! - Pt 1

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:9-10 ESV).

I went for a three-month follow-up with my cardiologist last week. The final report is very good. There are still some things I need to continue and a few things that cannot be changed with medication, diet, or exercise; however, the overall prognosis is good. My youngest son, Aaron, was with me for my appointment. It seems my family doesn’t trust me enough to go alone. It may have something to do with my overly optimistic attitude concerning my health; and, though I think I can convey the gist of a doctor’s report fairly well, they don’t share my opinion! So, I am always accompanied with a “reliable adult”! We had the first scheduled appointment of the afternoon. I have found that either the first of the morning or after lunch is the least likely to provide a long wait time. We were there in time to fill out any forms or present any necessary documents or identification and sat waiting to be called. As we waited, several other patients came in. There were two elderly men in wheel chairs, one who was using oxygen and a walker, and another who was accompanied by a caregiver guiding him as if he were unable to walk alone. I have no idea what each of these other patients were there about, though it is strictly a cardiology office. We were shown back to the exam room and saw a nurse who took vitals, and, then an associate physician who asked more of the same questions as the nurse. It was not a terrible wait before my doctor came in. He had the notes open and began to compliment me on my continued weight loss, good blood pressure, and other positive results from the brief exam. I felt pretty good about the accolades of accomplishment. He asked if I had any questions to which I replied no. And, last he told me that I would need to come back in six months at which time we’d do another echocardiogram to see how much the blockage had worsened. I couldn’t help but be reminded that he did not use the word “if” when speaking about the blockage. I still have one that cannot be aggressively treated yet. I’m always the one who says, “Get it fixed.” I’m not a paragon of patience! It was funny how that one word dampened my joy. I told Aaron that as we left the building and his response made me think: “Well, Dad, at least you’re walking out by yourself. Those other folks weren’t able to do that.” It was a clear reminder that perfection is not the prerequisite for joy. We can enjoy the day, by enjoying where we are!