Health and Gratitude
Being the first born child, I was an easy baby with minimal to no health issues. Little did my parents know that their next child would be quite the opposite picture of health. Following a challenging birth, it was a never ending cycle of visits to children's clinics, new specialists, new medications, surgeries, series of hospitalizations, with a couple of near death health emergencies sprinkled on top. It was easy to feel hopeless, sorrowful, and downright angry for everything that this innocent child had to experience. However, we soon realized that what was out of our control was simply out of our control. It would be essential to embrace what we could control - our mindset towards the situation.
Through this, we embraced what we were grateful for - which upon reflection, was a lot. For starters, simply having access to healthcare. That was something we were very fortunate to have, especially all of the supportive healthcare teams that we encountered. The resiliency that gratitude brought us helped us to put on our flexible pants to adapt to unpredictable situations and better handle any challenges that came our way. Despite not being able to walk, talk, eat food, or be able to do most innate human behaviors, my brother embraces what he can do. He does not fret what he cannot do. He spreads more happiness in one smile than anyone I have ever encountered. His happiness is contagious to those around him. This certainly has had a positive impact on his ability to heal.
Gaining perspective on our situations and recognizing the goodness in our lives can help to bring resiliency. Individuals who recognize gratitude in their lives are more likely to spread positivity to others. Ultimately this helps with our interconnectedness and empowerment. Healing is often not a linear path. It has ups and downs. During periods of setback, it can be hard to see how much progress has been made and how far we have come. This is why it is so important to establish a mindset of seeing the bigger picture. It can help us understand and create a sense of growth and a pattern of healing. It can be inspiring, hopeful, and lead to long term positive effects.
About Kaitlin Surber,, PA-CRelated Blog Posts
Building Resilience During Turbulent Times
The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, a return to homeostasis. This year has taught us that our ability to persevere has been the most effective response to these challenging times. With the staggering numbers of economic and personal losses from the pandemic over the last nine months, I have had the honor to care for our community during one of the…Read the Post
“Be the Change You Want to See in the World” - Mohandas Gandhi
The seasons are shifting and more change is on the horizon. To resist change is to invite suffering, to surrender to change is to open ourselves to endless possibility.Read the Post
Change your Mind
Everyday it seems we are reading about some news or study presenting evidence that our mind is connected to our health. Our thoughts effect how we feel, and how healthy we are.Read the Post
Connecting Through Gratitude & Grace
The power of gratitude.Read the Post
Gratitude and Chronic Illness
Living with a chronic illness can offer a special set of skills, emotional awareness, and shift in the ways in which we associate with gratitude. When we think about gratitude, what comes to mind is often our external world, rather than what is experienced inward. With the grief that ensues in living with a chronic condition, our mind, body and soul begin to reconnect itself…Read the Post
Related Services
Chronic Disease
Nowhere is the need for an integrative approach more apparent than in the management of chronic illness. We are a synthesis of many systems all working together, and when one or more systems become diseased, all of the others will be stressed as well. From physical challenges, to the challenges of everyday living, to a satisfying quality of life, we have to go past seeing that illness in…Chronic Disease
Cancer Care
Integrative Oncology at the Stram Center The Center offers a wide variety of cancer care treatments — including IV therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, acupuncture, medical massage and clinical nutrition — to combat cancer cells, help boost your immune system, reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, increase your energy, reduce anxiety and…Cancer Care
Lifestyle and Prevention
Nutrition is an essential component to preventative health, and is one of the most modifiable factors in our lives. Embracing a proper diet for your body has the power to positively impact your health on all levels, helping you reach your own distinctive state of wellness.Lifestyle and Prevention
Mental Health Counseling
At the Stram Center, we recognize that mental health is often the basis of your potential to navigate life’s challenges as well as to heal from physical illness. Understanding your full self, including traumas and difficulties you may have experienced, is often the first step to learn what your unique strategies are in the face of life’s difficulties. Quality healthcare should include support…Mental Health Counseling
