By Lauren Kovacs

Wow, hard to be thankful when MS is a greedy robber. MS has taken so much from us MS folks. The line of…”it could be worse” is never, ever to cross anyone’s lips.

That being said, it is important to find things daily to be thankful for. No matter how small. From those who are in pain and bedridden to the newly diagnosed. Bedridden folks might be thankful for sheets. Others might be thankful for being able to still walk.

Find anything. There are days when I am grateful for toilet paper, or not falling through the glass shower door. Other days it is Depends and chocolate. Maybe mashed potatoes and gravy and coffee are on tap for the day. Could be anything from the mushy family love to underwear.

I think as long as we can find anything, even on awful days, we are one step ahead of most. Yes, it can be like a Hallmark movie. Come on. Be real. Most of us love bread, sweets, or beer and chips for some. Cheese and ice cream are strong contenders, too.

Find something no matter how tiny. I know we all have bad days. I get knocked into that dark hole plenty. While in that pit, I try and think of things I love. Napkins, I love napkins. My kids like to guess how many I will use during a meal. Netflix deserves love, too.

My point is that no matter how small or weird there is a place to find gratitude. I used to hate doing dishes, but I am glad we have dishes. I would hate eating off the ground. I may have just found a really random silver line in that cloud.

The key is to tell yourself this. We don’t need the high and mighty crowd saying…”could be worse.”  We all know this. There are days I can’t even get food into my mouth, but I am thankful for one fat dog who cleans up after me when I miss my mouth and it lands on the floor.