Staring out my bedroom window in our final weeks of summer, I can’t help but wonder … How many of you know how lucky you are?

Personally, I prefer the word “blessed,” but for the purpose of this piece and to apply to a larger audience we’ll stick with “lucky.”

This week marks one month since returning from my one-year hiatus from this desk.

One year filled with 42 chemotherapy treatments (and counting), five Pet Scans, numerous other tests and weekly blood draws. One year of many days spent alone, more sleeping than I’ve done in decades and endless hours of reflection and prayer.

It was also a year spent celebrating good news, a trip to Disneyland with my kids, another to Hawaii, two milestone birthdays and a high school graduation. All things I prayed for strength to experience with my children, each prayer answered.

I share these things not to boast, brag or even guilt the reader, but I must admit one month of being back amongst all of you and it’s awfully loud.

Negativity and complaints for some, I’m learning, seems to come as easy as breathing. After a year away and spending time primarily with those close to me and my family, my first week in this past month I was honestly exhausted.

It’s odd really. Here I was so excited to return to my beat, reconnect with the community and be back amongst the living; I simply wasn’t prepared.

Trust me when I say, I understand that life isn’t a bed of roses. We all have bumps, peaks and valleys. Yet I can’t help but wonder how many truly wake up with gratitude each and every day … regardless.

I add the word “regardless,” because what I recognize is many of us may go to sleep with troubles. We are living in a crazy time, after all, and I would be remiss if that wasn’t acknowledged. The cost of living is off the charts, keyboard warriors continue to spread venom and self-centeredness seems to be making a comeback. All troubling things.

Yet we’re each incredibly lucky.

As I share this, I can honestly say my barometer on just how lucky I am personally, has been intensified this past year. Now living with a Chronic Stage 4 Cancer diagnosis, talks with myself are a constant.

None of us is perfect. If we cannot show grace when needed we are not only failing ourselves but others.

Since returning to work this past month I have been honest about my condition with strangers, appeared in public bald on multiple occasions and forgiven those who have forgotten to show grace. All of this for one simple reason; I’m so blessed to be here.

And so are you.

The main and only difference between my story and that of the “healthy” person reading this is a diagnosis and trust me when I say, that can come at any time.

So let’s return to why you might be lucky. Assuming you don’t have great health like me or perhaps are grieving the loss of a loved one, all not fun things.

If you have a job, you are lucky. If you hate said job, make a change. If you have a roof over your head, you’re lucky. Food on the table, a loving family, close friends, a car, books, the list goes on. Granted none of these are elaborate vacations, they’re more than that. This is a list of every day blessings that some worry about at the end of each day.

Life … well, it’s funny quite honestly. Now with one month in, these columns have become harder to write, mainly for the reasons I’ve shared above.

I’m learning I’m more of an empath than I realized. Returning into the world from my bubble has just hurt my soul a bit. Listening to the negative, encountering entitlement and the lack of joy is simply exhausting.

Each and every week, I travel to a hospital for treatment and while there, I see children in the same battle. It’s heartbreaking watching a parent push their child in a wheelchair because they’re too weak or pull their luggage as they prepare for a stay.

I suppose like a soldier of a different kind, I’ve resurfaced to my desk from a different kind of war and just like the soldier from battle I just can’t help but wonder how so many have no clue how lucky you truly are.

Teresa Hammond is a staff reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Riverbank News and The Escalon Times. She may be reached at thammond@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.