Asthma has visited me every fall since the eighties. Some years it leaves me gasping for breath, and other times it waves as I keep moving. A month ago it was slowing me down enough that I decided to throw money at it. The purple disc that keeps the wheezing behind bars is no longer covered by our insurance, but I had to have it, so I renewed the prescription and got one. The relief came quickly.

Years ago a friend suggested I try acupuncture which I did. Although I have no idea how skinny needles in my wrists help clear my airways, the truth is I don't understand Advair either. There was a noticeable decline in my asthma for several years.

Although the prescription alleviated the symptoms I wanted to put efforts into the overall health of my respiratory system, and acupuncture seemed like a step in that direction. If time is any indicator of worth, the practice has been around a tad longer than albuterol. 

If there were no inconvenient effects of lung disease, I am sure I would ignore it like the crumbs under the couch. But in reality the wheezing does me a favor. It says, "Pay attention."

Some illnesses are not so considerate. They send no warnings, and their destruction strikes in a flash. 

Friends from out of town came by for a visit, and the conversation meandered to a pumpkin carving party they had attended. 

"There were couples we knew twenty years ago from our first childbirth class. We were all hopeful new parents, and eager to give our babies the very best start in life."

But in the course of slopping pumpkin guts, they learned that almost all of the couples from that class had split up. The room grew quiet as she recounted the sobering memory. 

Divorce arrives like asthma. The marriage begins to wheeze. It can be confusing to find the right course of action, and pricey. But the discontent can be a blessing disguised as a problem.

It says, "Pay attention."