A doctor friend told me once, “surgery is painless, it’s recovery that hurts.” He couldn’t be more correct especially when it applies to yourself. It’s easy to make suggestions for other people’s recovery, but agony for yourself. I can remember many Sunday mornings having an eye piercing hang over and the Puritans offering all kinds of stupid cures: “put Advil in your coffee; take a cold shower, take a hot shower, say a Hail Mary, quit drinking Jameson, etc.” The best cure from them was to shut up and leave me alone to wallow in my own misery.
Luckily, hangovers eventually fade, but for a lot of people recovery is difficult and long term. Recovery is not just for surgery, it covers medical and psychiatric issues too, the latter being more common today. The problem, however, is people use “trauma” to describe minor things that are not traumatic. Trust me, the trauma of recovering from a home invasion is a lot worse than your hair getting dyed too dark at the salon. I know, it’ll set you back a bunch, but with the right counseling, you’ll eventually recover with new highlights.
I’ve had tons of surgeries, medical treatments, and as well as awful setbacks from being a Notre Dame football fan; so I’m a resident expert on recovery. Regardless, I feel the hardest recoveries are from damaging events beyond your control. Think getting fired, divorce, crime, poverty, war, and without a doubt nature’s havoc. As of this week, I’ve lived through four major hurricanes and an F5 tornado. We’ve been nailed with damages many times, but nothing compared to what our neighbors experienced. The awful pictures of Hurricane Ian leveling Southwest Florida doesn’t reflect the pain and suffering individual people are going through rebuilding their destroyed lives. Unfortunately, like the Puritans nagging me about my Jameson overdoses, people in Florida are getting a spectrum of unhelpful suggestions like blaming your misery on global warming or politics. That doesn’t help your recovery. What helps is the legion of friends and strangers who come out of the woodwork to prop you up and comfort you. Southwest Florida will take years to dig out and return to what was normal before September 28, 2022. It will happen, but not tomorrow. But thankfully in the future you will look back and remember not the piles of waterlogged debris, but the amazing power of human kindness that appeared out of nowhere and extended their hands to get your life back together. That’s recovery. Slainte.
I have learned a lot this week Mr. Pete… but the biggest thing is that we are all one. No one’s bigger or smaller and being generous and loving is the greatest gift. Life itself is something to be shared with others and I am thankful for everyone who has been kind to me. I really look forward to your blogs and they always make me think about life from a different perspective. Thank you! ❤️
Thanks for reading. There are a few sour ones out in the world, but most people put in more than they take out when given the chance.
And the wisdom from Pete Lawson just keeps on coming.
I’ve learned a lot from you over the past several weeks my friend.
I took my eye off of you when you were in the Adirondacks, and forgot what you had to come back to. You’re the man of steel.
Can’t wait for your next dose of wisdom.
And the wisdom from Pete Lawson just keeps on coming.
I’ve learned a lot from you over the past several weeks my friend.
I took my eye off of you when you were in the Adirondacks, and forgot what you had to come back to. You’re the man of steel.
Can’t wait for your next dose of wisdom.
I am still recovering from not being able to be at the Apple squeeze fast.
Everybody stay safe as you can and be kind
Rich, we hit a new record of 32 gallons; that was just the moonshine. Pete
Benjamin Franklin quoted beer is proof that God loves us . I think he meant to say alcohol
The strength from friends and neighbors in hard times is as equal, probably even a higher power.
In tough times I am amazed at the kindness of friends and strangers …recovering will take time, things might look a bit different after, but it will work out. When we make it through tough times…it makes the Jameson hangover seem easy! (Although that is debatable after one of your ☘️ party’s ) Stay well!
Recovery is elastic; when you are looking forward it stretches out longer than you planned, but after it seems like it ended yesterday
Great post, Pete! ❤️
🙏🏼😢🍀
BRIGHTNESS IN A SEA OF SADNESS.
Thank you for taking the time to write this your strength is amazing
You are a wise man Pete Lawson. My third brain surgery was indeed painless. And recovery is harder. I look forward to your blog!
You are a champ, keep going!
Well said Pete, I just had rotator cuff surgery yesterday and it made me think about people like you and all cancer survivors and all you people have to go through. I guess that I have always taken my health for granted and I have the utmost respect for all of you that keep fighting and trying to have a positive attitude through all the health issues that people face. God Bless! Sorry missed the Apple fest, I had a lot to get done before yesterday.
Tom, rotator cuff surgery is no walk in the park, so I feel for you. I’ve been avoiding it for years. What is far worse is eating live crayfish at Frazier’s Bar, nothing beats that. Best, Pete
Thank you Pete,
❤️🍀🙏, Thanks for Grounding Us Pete. My Huge Problems are but a Speck of Dust…
Relatively doesn’t get rid of your problems, but it does make them a little smaller