The Glass is Half Full

I have never been the optimistic type.  I always seem to think the worst is going to happen, no matter what.  No telling why that is, but people who look at life with that “the glass is half full” approach get much respect from me.

With my job, I interview all types of people.  Being a medical reporter, many times those people are either going through or have gone through some sort of strife in their life.  I’ve talked to parents who have lost a child, women battling cancer, wives caring for their husbands as they battle a fatal disease.  And every time it never ceases to amaze me how positive these people are.

Today I interviewed a woman who’s husband was diagnosed with ALS about a year ago.  Once the provider for his family, he now requires constant care.  He’s paralyzed from the neck down and uses a wheelchair to get around.  The typical prognosis for this disease is not good.  Most patients with it live between two and five years.  I can’t even fathom that.  The woman I talked to stayed so positive and talked about how there is hope out there and they have faith that her husband will live beyond that dreaded time table given to them a year ago.

My life has been very charmed so far.  I’ve had some bumps in the road, but nothing that compares to the people I interview.  Today’s story has really given me a whole new appreciation for what I have, because as I’ve seen too many times before it can all be gone in an instant.