The adage "you'll never know the value of what you have until you don't have it anymore" is the pure truth. So as much as we would like to avoid the complexities of loss, it is only through loss that we become rich. If I had to pick fame or fortune, I would pick fortune. But only the kind of fortune I am blessed with now, the kind that will keep you rich beyond your lifetime as you pay it forward. What am I on about? Here are a list of my fortunes.
My sight. I was diagnosed with IIH when it was found that I had double vision in my right eye. For weeks I was dazed, helpless and even clueless. Simple tasks such as reading and walking were a force to be reckoned with. These days even after a VP shunt my eyes are carefully monitored and is a treasure I can never put a price on.
My writing. Yes, I have a published book with number two on its way. While I look forward to making this work and to be successful, it is not the material that counts as much as the skill that is able to grow. And for this, I am grateful. Add to this a publisher and an editor who think of you as a person and not as another piece of paper they need to be done with, I am far richer than most writers I know.
My memories. It has been decades since my first article was published in a local paper and yet I know of only one person who has clippings of my early articles. It isn't the recognition that is the fortune, it is the thought that someone thinks your achievements count and allows you a sense of recollection. One of the famous kickbacks of IIH is that one can be prone to memory lapses. I have had several episodes where I have been barely able to remember where I live but to have the ability to hold on to your memories and have someone else nudge you along, that is yet another fortune.
People. I have been blessed with some of the worst characters the world can ever spit out. And yes, I say I am blessed to have met them because if I had not met them I would never understand the three great fortunes any other person can bring into my life and that is love, trust and acceptance. The sheer relieve of hearing someone say, "it's okay to screw up, we'll love you anyway", that is a whole bankroll of fortune right there. These are the people you'll look upon and with absolute certainty smile in the knowledge that God does send angels to be with you.
And last but certainly not least, my biggest fortune is life. For everyday, I do not spend in a hospital, with a needle stuck into my spine or with the certainty that my shunt is about to fail and brain surgery will come knocking on my door again, I am rich in blessings and life.
I wish you all fortunes and blessings for years to come. Love and light.
Pandora Poikilos is the author of Frequent Traveler:
Catherine Dixon is everyone's dreamgirl. Girls want to be her. Men want to be with her. From her charming smile to her gentle voice, one always turns to take a second look at Cathy. Wherever she goes there isn't an ill word spoken about her. Her job as Vice President of Communications at MoonStar, one of the world's top hotel chains is to make sure guests are happy to the point of perfection.
From the blue oceans of Antigua to the bustling streets of Vietnam, the racing adrenaline at the Green Hell, the devastating natural disaster in Japan and the stunning architecture in Germany, Cathy finds herself in a whirlwind of fine dining, plush clothes and sheer extravagance. But is perfection only a mask for untold disaster? In a job that deals so much with people, Cathy goes home to an empty bed. There are no pictures on her wall, no doting phone calls from a tongue tied lover and no family holidays to boast about.
Genre - Women's Fiction
Rating - PG13
View the Book Trailer for Frequent Traveller
Website http://pandorapoikilos.com/
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1 comment:
I think fortune would be better, since fame can get in the way of your privacy.
eai(at)stanfordalumni(dot)org
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