First Lesson I Learned

While we were in the doctor's office the day I was diagnosed with ALS, I didn't cry.  I didn't dare, because I didn't know if I'd be able to stop.  When we got in the privacy of our car, I sobbed and sobbed.  I didn't really want to get home, because that meant we'd have to tell family what we'd just been told.  Somehow I came out of the fog I was in, and noticed we were hitting every stop light red. The street had two lanes going the direction we were headed, and I noticed cars were going through lights that Alan was stopping at.  I wondered where the cars were hurrying to.  Then I realized that under normal circumstances, I'd be complaining about those red lights.  (On the next visit, I counted.  We hit thirteen lights red that day!) Dr. Kolb had told me that I now needed to "conserve energy."  Then a lady came to tell us about their ALS clinic.  She also told me to "conserve energy."
I found myself wondering how much time and energy I've wasted in my life getting upset about things I have no control over.
I made a goal that day not to waste any more time or energy worrying about inconsequential things.  I need to save that time and energy for things that really matter.