Sometimes Choices Aren’t Beautiful

No TP — what did you do instead? We made beautiful choices.

No masks — what did you do instead? We made masks.

No vaccines — what did you do instead? We used our voices!

Teaching or groups on Zoom or Team — what did you do instead? It was a bummer, but we finished the tasks!

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Funerals of friends and family — what did you do instead? Made the choice to attend the memorial or the celebration of life at a later date.

Travel across and into other states — what did you do instead? Stayed in Minnesota and didn’t leave the state!

A choice to live or die — what did you do instead? Took the vaccines, wore a mask, life is not guaranteed and sometimes death is a choice.

Covid diagnosis — what did you do instead? Followed all recommended protocols and when I didn’t have it bad, like some others, I did rejoice!

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Grocery store hours for old people — what did you do instead? Went to the store early in the morning before many others were awake to shop with all the other old people there.

What about long-term covid — what did you do instead? Don’t panic, be thankful it wasn’t worse here.

The government stopped paying for the vaccine — what will I do instead? Continue to get the vaccine, I have insurance.

What about the RSV vaccine and the flu vaccine — what did you do instead? Get one vaccine at a time. The covid vaccine just became available recently for the general public. It can be a nuisance!

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Making beautiful choices is not always easy to do. I want to live my life with beautiful choices, and sometimes it feels like the best of two evils. That is okay as long as I can live with myself and with the decisions I make too.

A beautiful choice for me is to ask others, to talk and listen to others, to pray, and to be patient with strife. To live in the moment. To not try to solve all my problems today. Do not expect me to do everything on my list. To save something for tomorrow is a beautiful choice for this time in my life.

A beautiful choice is to go to my medical appointments, to not complain as much about everything medical. To listen to others when they are trying to give me helpful advice for my condition rather than be whimsical.

Sometimes a beautiful choice is no choice, without more information. I come from a sex and generation that was always expected to be taken care of and sometimes I wait for that to happen when I should be in there standing in formation.

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Depression — what do I do instead? Make beautiful choices.

I learned tears are important, so I cry. I do understand though that others won’t cry as they have heard, you are a big boy/girl now, don’t cry, or I will give you something to cry for, so that’s why.

I learned laughter is important, so I laugh. I took 20 minutes each day to laugh with a laughter yoga lady, and she made gaffes. She did have an ‘unintentional act or remark’ that did embarrass me. And her too from time to time you see.

With depression, I know what medicine to take now. Laughter and tears are the solution to my dip in the depression that I don’t want or allow.

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Addiction — what do I do instead? Make beautiful choices.

I have a child and grandchildren who struggle with addiction. I work a program that includes support each week for this affliction.

I make sure they know I love and pray for them. No enabling or bailing them out. I have the tools that keep me strong, and I try to be the very best role model to have some clout.

I am a strong woman and can make beautiful choices today. I must remember that on this fall October day.

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First published by Beautiful Choices on medium.com