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Yesterday I spoke with a mom of two school-aged children who had broken her leg skiing during the holidays. She first, understandably, wanted to vent about her frustration regarding the physical necessity to curb her activity for the next few weeks. She then went on to list all the engagements she wouldn't be able to attend at all or without assistance - someone driving her, helping her up the stairs, and so on. (Sometimes we first need to throw a pity party, right? It often doesn't work to skip that part.) As fast as possible after the ten minute vent, I encouraged her to recognize how a broken leg could be great for her right now. Sounds odd, I know, but she knew exactly what I meant. She went from complaining about what she couldn't do and was able to transition to the hidden blessings. Here are some of the positives she came up with:
1. Her gratitude that her family was able to go on a ski trip in the first place.
2. She hadn't really wanted to attend all those events coming up this week anyway, and now she realized she could have turned them down without a broken leg.
3. She'll have time to read - one of the passions she almost never allows since she's always on the go.
4. Her husband and the children will have more time together since he'll be on duty more.
5. Her sister-in-law would be invited to spend a few days with them to help out, which would be fun for all concerned.
Often what can first appear as an inconvenience or even a disaster turns out to be wonderful. By the time the appointment ended, I heard a giggle with, "Wow, breaking my leg was the best thing that could have happened to me! Next time I won't have to get hurt to plan my time differently."
Dr. Shosh
www.DrShosh.com
