Relishing life

At a recent staff meeting while waiting for other colleagues to arrive I asked one colleague "So, what's been the highlight of the day so far."  He started to respond "Well, with Ebola. . ."

I was like "Wait, stop right there."

He got me started on Ebola. The Ebola epidemic is like a cold.  You can let it get the best of you and encroach on every inch of life or you can do your best to keep it at bay and live life to the fullest possible.

I told him that while we are in the epidemic, we can still be realists yet optimists.

Lesson #4: In life there is always something to appreciate even in the gloomiest of situations.

He never did give me a highlight.

So this list is dedicated to all who hesitate to seek and relish the highlights in life.

Highlights of living in Liberia during the Ebola crisis:

• Seeing Liberian resilience in action
• Learning unforgettable lessons about facing fears
• Learning priceless lessons about trust in God
• Finding more time than ever to read 
• Valuing the smallest gifts of life (though while writing I just saw and killed the biggest ant I've seen in a while)
• Doing more regular exercise than I've done in years (mainly walking and Zumba)
• Seizing the day, relishing and indulging in healthy living and relationships
• Blogging more regularly (after recovering from an Ebola-induced hiatus:)
• Hearing more regularly from friends checking in to make sure I'm still alive