Support Systems, Sunsets and (Foot) Support Systems

So every Thursday I'm going to highlight some of the things that I'm thankful for that week. Sometimes the negative issues that come with Cystic Fibrosis can overshadow all of the good stuff going on in our lives. I have so much to be thankful for that I will never be able to cover it all, but I figured that a nice little reminder each week could be a good thing. I hope you enjoy.

- I'm so thankful for my support system. This includes my family, my friends, my girlfriend, and all of you bloggy buddies (RSR had 948 hits yesterday!) out there. It's so important to have people to lean on when times get tough and I need somebody's strength and encouragement (or food) to get me through the day or certain period in my life. This is just a small example of something my support system does for me- When I'm in the hospital, I NEVER eat hospital food for dinner, you heard that right, NEVER. My family comes every single night and brings me dinner. Whether it's my mom, dad, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend, Mandi or a surprise visit from a stranger, someone is there to keep me company and bring me some "real" food. This may seem like a small thing, but I appreciate it beyond measure and hope they feel as valued as I see them.

- I'm so thankful for the Arizona weather. Sure it's hot, but it's also clear blue skies (mostly) and beautiful sunsets EVERYDAY. I always have access to a pool and I often just bob up and down on a raft and appreciate the crystal clear sky above me. I've lived in AZ all of my life and have yet to get tired of clear, bright and sunny days. The sunsets? I must say "WOW!" 360 out of the 365 days of the year when I look west and see the sun falling behind the horizon. The colors that are produced in the sky are so vivid and wonderful that a picture doesn't even do them justice; you have to see it with your own eyes.

- I'm so thankful that my foot feels better. One reason I chose to start running was because I hated it. Seriously, I've never before run in my life. Sure, I had a couple months out of my life when I would run on a treadmill and such, but I never kept it up. I for sure never wanted to run outside on the hard surface of the streets or sidewalk. No way. Too painful. Too hard. I didn't want to go through the pain to do something that I wasn't very good at and couldn't keep up. So naturally, when I decided that I needed to change some things around in my life and focus even more on my health, I chose running. I needed an enemy to defeat. I needed something to challenge me and mock me if you will. Running does just that. I started to actually "enjoy" running after a while. Not because it felt better, it still hurts like heck every time I run, but because of the challenge. So when that challenge got taken away because of my foot problems, I was upset. I actually WANTED to run and admittedly, I missed it. I recently got some specially made foot orthotics and so far, so good. I'm back to running and I can't wait to defeat this "enemy".