It could be worse

Well, the germs seem to have finally run their course through my little family. In the end, we all came down with something at some point in the last two weeks except for Brian. He stayed healthy until he went camping with the scouts at which point he managed to mess up his right shoulder. He's been in a tremendous amount of pain for just over a week and he can't hardly use that arm at all.
Not a big deal for me, normally.
I mean, sure, I felt bad for him, but as long as the kids and I were getting better I could deal with his temporary handicap. Until...
The dishwasher stopped working, the van sprang a leak in the radiator, and the heating element in the oven fizzled out. Oh, and the cable TV stopped working this morning. And let's not forget that Christmas is coming.
I have to admit that I was feeling pretty sorry for myself Sunday morning. Between being sick for two weeks and having things breaking down right and left, I was pretty sure I had reached my limit. No more, I silently prayed, please no more!
Then....
One of the speakers in Sacrament Meeting read a children's story about a mouse who had a very bad day. He tripped and fell, stumbled into a hole and was stung by nettles. What he didn't see was the cat, the bird, and the snake that would have eaten him if it weren't for his misfortunes.
So.....
It could be worse. The kids are healthy, Brian's shoulder is getting better, we have hot running water that we can wash the dishes by hand with, the van got me home before breaking down and the microwave is still working. Heck, we even have a grill and a stove if we can't get the oven fixed quickly. Not to mention the extra exercise the kids and I will get from walking home from school instead of driving.
As it turns out, when I cultivate gratitude and look for the positives, my limit vanishes.