This evening I was hanging out talking with my friend Kevin, the disability coordinator for NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). Kevin was a special forces medic in the army for 14 years. While he was serving in Iraq, he lost both legs in an explosion. He also suffered some brain damage and severe injury to his spine. He's in a wheelchair. He's in constant searing pain.
I asked him how he was feeling tonight. He just got a brand new electric wheelchair, which is great, but he sits in it a little differently, so he's in quite a bit more pain. It still needs some breaking in, he told me.
He's also been doing more work on the computer, so his shoulder is bothering him. He just saw his doc today who increased his pain meds higher than he would like. Yes, he has to use both opiates and medical marijuana just to keep the pain at a manageable level.
When I see Keven, I always gently stroke his back a little, but never too hard. I try to be mindful of his pain, wanting to never make it any worse. (I watched him cringe once when someone walked by and gave him a friendly slap on the back.)
Kevin could be angry, depressed, or moody. He could sit around whining and complaining about the hand that God dealt him and how unfair it is. And who could blame him? I mean, he's got it pretty bad. Maybe he indulges in pity in private, but I've never seen him like that. In fact, he told me that he spent 2 years in the hospital with guys much worse off than he was.
"It could always be worse," he said. "When I'm having a bad day, I just remember the other guys I saw. No matter what, it could always be worse."
Lord, when I think my life is unfair, when I'm in pain or having a bad day, give me the strength and the will to remember how fortunate I am and that no matter what, it could always be worse.
