Gratitude

This afternoon I was walking back to my office and there was a patient who was walking down the hall doing Physical Therapy. Alot of our patients need Physical Therapy after a stroke. This patient was probably in his late 50's, and being helped to stand and walk by a girl, who was half his age and half his height. Anyway, as there were telemetry monitors in the hall way I had to stop and wait for this patient and his physical therapist to walk by me. I stopped and smiled at her, and took a minute to notice this man- curious what his name was, his diagnosis, and if he was one of the patients on my list for our data.
He was well over 6 feet tall. In two hospital gowns, covering front and back. Clearly struggling to take each step and physically exhausted. I waited patiently as they passed by me, and I recognized that I really need to be grateful today. Grateful that I don't need help walking. That I am in generally good health. That the basic funtions of my body, still function. All day long I analyze the files of patients who suddenly could not lift thier arms, or who woke up and could not speak. What a horrifying experience.
Today I am grateful that my body is still my own and that my brain is still working for me.
Some days it's just not worth it to complain about being tired.