Perspective

I'm really handling the hit-and-run driver thing remarkably well. Even Himself has commented on it. My deductible is $500 plus 20% of the rental car. Joe observed this morning that "it's as if someone stole five hundred dollars from us."

Yup.

And I'm calm. Much more than anyone who knows me would expect.

My counterpart at a church in the next town has a complicated neurological disorder that causes tremors and, I believe, speech hesitancy. Medications had unpleasant side effects and the solution  to the condition was the implantation of some sort of an electronic device in her brain. A month or so ago she became ill; it has been determined that the implant is infected. She is going to have to go into the hospital to have it removed and when she does that, the disorder will be right back, raring to go. A month of intravenous antibiotics will follow and then I'm not sure what before she can go back in hospital to have a replacement device implanted.

My good friend has some sort of an eye problem that has gone on for months and months; when it is at its peak, she has to wear dark glasses to get some relief from the discomfort it causes. It is a chronic condition, and finally a few weeks ago some topical drops were tried and afforded her some measure of relief. She was so happy. But when she went to refill the prescription, suddenly the medicine is unavailable. Anywhere. How absolutely frustrating!

And another dear friend's husband's cancer returned with a vengeance a couple of months ago. In mid-December they were told to contact hospice. He died yesterday.

I'll take a hit-and-run car accident with a $500 deductible over any of these.