today i looked in the mirror and......

todays prompt from WEGO Health is Stream of Conciousness Day.
start with this phrase: “Today I looked in the mirror and…” (Or another sentence you come across.) But sure to – Keep writing. Don’t stop for 15 minutes. Don’t edit. Post. Go!


today i looked in the mirror and i wondered how i got here.  i guess what i mean by that is...i don't know.  i am going to be 50 this year.  how did this happen?  where was i when all this time passed?  so many things have happened to me over the years.  i became Diabetic when i was 12.  i ignored that for many years.  i met my husband when i was 16.  i married him when i was 19.  i had my first child when i was 20.  my second at 22 and my third at 27.  i moved away from family and friends when i was 26.  new city,  new jobs, new friends.  life was good!  my 3rd child was born here, in our new city.  financial times were tough, but it's only money after all.  children grow and leave home.  they begin lives of their own.  when i was 42 i went to our family reunion, and ended up with an infection in my toe.  this led to cellulitus, and hospitalization.  this was the beginning of the road to my eventual open heart surgery.  i look around me and i am thankful for what i have.  i have a nice home, i have benefits to cover my medications.  i live in a province that assists it's diabetics to live healthier lives by covering pumps and supplies for every age group.  i have a loving family, and we are very close.  my grandchildren are at my house every day!  they give me the encouragement i need to take better care of myself, and they don't even know they are doing it!  without them, i may still be neglecting my health.  i may not have asked my doctor about what i thought was heart burn.  i may have just continued to "treat" with antacids, and suffered the "massive coronary" that the doctors said i barely avoided. 
i looked in the mirror this morning and realized i am very lucky.  lucky to have found the DOC and met the amazing people here.  i guess i got here through sheer stubborness!  and i can only hope to have another 50 years in which to enjoy the many new and exciting adventures that lay ahead!