The One Eyed Man

Now before your mind goes totally down the wrong road (and I know that allsome of your minds did) -- please note that I said "man" and not snake. So now that we have cleared that up, the title probably still leaves you going, "huh?'. In other words, I've cleared nothing up.My father is from small town East Texas. He often speaks in a phrase-ology reminiscent of Dr. Phil. And one of his favorite sayings is "In the world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king". He says it whenever he wants to express a sentiment about perspective.I can feel blind. Helen Keller blind. Blindfolded in a deep cave blind. Jodie Foster in the basement in "The Silence of the Lambs" with Buffalo Bill two feet away blind. Blind!And as of late, I have been under the weather and truthfully feeling a little low. And tired. You know... sick and tired. So I needed a little perspective.Recently, I got that perspective. I was faced with the burdens others carry and I was reminded how much I have. I learned of a mom who has a brain tumor. A mom with kiddos about the same age as mine. Another friend had a cancer scare and is still on a monthly watch. A mom at my son's school just finished her last chemo treatment. Suddenly my headache and stuffed nose seem not so bad.My husband loves me. And puts up with me (which is saying something!). I know of wives who are struggling in their marriages. My kids are healthy and go to great schools. Any morning watching the Today Show reminds me that is not true for everyone.In other words, I am the one eyed man.There was an email that circulated a few years ago that was a Thank You prayer. It took things that we often complain about and turned them into positive reasons to have gratitude. Things like (and I am paraphrasing here): saying thanks for paying bills because you have the money to pay. Saying thanks for going to bed tired because you have a job. Etc. Etc.  That's the prayer I want to say.Dear God,Thank you for my small apartment because it allows me to send my kids to a wonderful school.Thank you for the strewn toys across my children's room because I have two fun-loving kids that make that mess.Thank you for my husband's stinky socks because he works hard to provide for us thus creating VERY stinky socks.Thank you for the mountain of laundry that I have because my children are always well-dressed. And thank you for the washing machine and dryer which saves me from trekking down to the laundromat.Thank you for the sink full of dishes because we have had our fill of food.Thank you for truly allowing me to be the One Eyed Man.Amen.Are you a One Eyed Man?