Breathing

My favorite living author thanks God that he can breathe. He had something last spring that made him painfully, acutely aware of the joy of breath.

"I had pleural effusion (I’d never heard of it either), in which sticky, fibrous fluid fills the chest cavity outside the lung, causing the lung to stick to your insides. That’s not supposed to happen." As you read the description of his ordeal, you just want to fill your lungs with air.

"Each one of us is about three minutes from death every moment of our lives. . . 

"Here’s one suggestion . . make a list of the ordinary things you should be grateful for — health, freedom, shelter, family, friends, pets, breathing — stick it on the side of your computer screen, and thank God every day . . "

If you had a challenge thinking of something to thank God for yesterday, you might think about the miracle of your body and its self-healing parts . . and health care professionals who help it along from time to time.