A Good Look Around

I really should count my blessings these days . There are probably 1000 reasons why I could say life sucks. but it really doesn't.

I'm going to be frank. Life has really kicked the s*** out of me the last few years. I am a world away from where I was in 2002. While I was never rich , I earned a good living, had a comfortable home, and was able to give my kids a good life. We shared everything we had, and had a lot of good times with people.

Serious injuries cost me my Wall Street career. Merrill Lynch kicked me to the curb like a bad blind date... Just like that, 30 years down the drain.

I went into a private Financial Services business in time for the 2008 banking debacle, which basically led to people choosing between investing or eating. Guess what won?

Things were lousy. They picked up a bit in early 2010, but caved in again with the debt crises both here and in Europe. I was having a great ol' time watching my savings evaporate and seeing my 401K turn into a 1K.

There was actually a day I can remember when I literally had 8 dollars in the bank. 8. Talk about having a bad day, right?

I moved myself into a completely different direction as far as careers go. In late 2011 I joined a company that runs high-end food stores here on the East coast. I'm restarting my career at a time when many of my former peers are looking at retiring. Yay for that.

My injuries would have allowed me to take advantage of permanent disability payments. I could have spent the rest of my life collecting about $6000 per month. But that didn't sit well with me. I felt that if I could work I should work. So I turned that down, found a surgeon who put me back together and carried on.

Believe me, there are days I think about that decision... I'd be lying if I said I don't. But my kids were young, and on disability you don't go running around with children. I didn't want to live like that.

So I found the new career. I make literally 1/10th of what I once earned. I'm damned near flat broke. My home is nearly in foreclosure. I have a 15 year old car. And I have two miserable, debt-collecting lawyers taking up residence in my butt.

And now I have cancer. A rather nasty cancer at that.

So why am I lucky, huh?

Because I have my life. I have 3 kids who have rallied to my support. I have a wonderful family and awesome friends. And thanks to social media, I've come into contact with people I do consider friends, including many who are battling cancer every day.

Twitter and Facebook bring me smiles every day from people who simply remind me that I matter. People who have no reason to perk me up other than just being kind and loving.

And once in a while, even Alyssa Milano says hi to me. Yeah, I'm a dork and that makes me happy.

Pain passes, wounds heal. Love lasts forever. And I have way more love than pain.

If just one person gets hope from my life, then none of the bad stuff matters. It all fades away.

I know very well that a lot of people are battling way harder than I am, and I'd be a loser if I complained too much.

Life is good because I have my life.

Hope that makes sense.