What's In Your Pocket?

A few weeks ago, tears trickled out my eyes. With dry eyes, that doesn’t happen easily. Later when I talked to my hubby, I told him that today is one of those hard days. He said that it’s expected at times. He knows I struggle because of so many things I can’t do anymore. Because of all of the pain in my back and hips. My knee that I had surgery on a couple of months ago is excellent and little pain. I fell again.

The emotions

There was some loneliness too. Those emotions bring on the coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Remember what comes up, spit out, don’t swallow. The most important thing that I can think of to do, is to get control of my breathing. Pursed lip breathing is so important, it helps me to breathe normally as I breathe in oxygen. This helps my shortness of breath, it helps me to relax and it also relieves me of any carbon dioxide when I exhale. I also use my inhaler if needed.

Thankfully, I don’t get emotional like this very often. It seems that I get sad, when something happens, like when I have to miss an important event or can’t even clean the house the way I used to do. I do accept most things, because I know they aren’t possible. My mood actually took less time than it has taken me to type this paragraph. Yes, that’s true.

Folding clothes, I started pulling Kleenexes out of the pockets and sleeves. Oops I must have missed taking them out of before washing. Automatically, I realized I had been sticking them in my left cardigan pocket and both sleeves LOL. I always have to make sure that I have one. Not good through the washer and dryer though.

What's been in my pockets

Thinking back to things that I have found when emptying my pockets besides Kleenex: Cell phone, house phone as well, Pro-Air inhaler, Halls lozenges, paper, paper clips, coins, receipts, dog bone and even an unopened can of pop or water (yes, they fit). To me, it’s funny to think of what I find there.

I find it helpful to laugh at myself

You see, it’s important to find things to laugh about, giggle and chuckle about. That’s what keeps a person sane? Funny things make the world go ‘round. My hubby doesn’t always get my humor, my daughter usually does. As long as I check my pockets, I’m able to enjoy the little things. Most of the time, I put things in my pockets automatically and seldom give it a thought. So it’s a surprise at the end of the day or whenever I empty my pockets. You see, if we can’t laugh at ourselves it’s hard to laugh at other things. Laughter makes the world go ‘round.

Sometimes to lighten the day, I’ll send gifs and cute pictures to family and friends. Making others smile, brings such joy. Our kids and their loved ones as well. They and our grandkids often respond with their happiness or even comments of a bad day that we can talk about it. Often they send selfies of themselves and others. Oh, then there are the “I love yous”. See? It all came because emptying pockets can be an adventure!

Realizing our lives have changed with COPD

You see, we (myself and others with COPD) have a chronic illness. Chronic illnesses often cause us to be emotional and depressed. It’s hard to live that, day in and day out. It’s hard to be upbeat all of the time when we struggle to breathe, when we cope with pain, when we realize that we can’t do the things that we used to do. When we realize that our lives are changed. It’s so important to have a support system, face to face or online.

It’s important that we grieve our old lives! Writing that article helped change me, helped change my thinking. I read it periodically to remind myself that I can’t carry the burden, that I choose not to carry it anymore, that’s just heavyweight. I can use this to help me know how to grieve and how to use this with many things that are a burden.

Finding joy in the little things

It’s important to let go, to give ourselves peace and to find joy in even the little things. I have led a full day doing all types of things, however, the peace and comfort I have is all because of the joy I had when I checked my pockets and the peace that I have within me. Yeah, that may sound silly, but I'll make and take whatever I can to find joy in my day.

So, what’s in your pocket?