It may be difficult to believe, but some good things have come from my migraines and the impact migraine disease has on my life.

Perhaps the most significant differences that migraine has made is to make me recognize and appreciate even more the small kindnesses the other people offer. This brings to mind the old saying, "Great things come in small packages."

Here are some examples of small kindnesses people have shown me recently, small kindnesses that were really huge in how they made me feel:

• People tagging me in Tweets to wish me a good day.
• Text messages from friends wishing me migraine-free days while I was at a conference.
• A thumbs-up from a colleague when I was unexpectedly asked to speak in an important meeting.
• The little girl who picked up the sweater I dropped in the airport AND the big smile she gave me when she handed me the sweater.
• The gentleman on the plane who lifted my carry-on down from the overhead compartment.
• Email greeting cards that aren't for a special occasion, but just to say someone was thinking of me.

Here's one that I found especially touching and endearing:

At a conference I recently attended in Arizona, I was so tired one evening that I ordered dinner from room service so I could eat in my pajamas, then go to sleep. The server who brought dinner was making small talk and asked what I was going to do the next day. I told him that I was going to walk the hotel grounds with my camera after the conference sessions. He asked if I liked taking photos, then told me that the grounds manager had taken some photos there that turned out so well that they'd been made into greeting cards. When he came back to pick up my tray, he brought me one of the cards, but wouldn't let me pay him for it. He said it was a small gift from him to me. It's extraordinarily beautiful, and it's more precious to me because of the kindness he showed in bringing it to me.

As I write to share all of this with you, I realize that these small kindnesses have brought me so much joy and peace that I want to be more "in the moment" and try to do more of this kind of thing for other people. Have you been touched by small kindnesses? Please post a comment below, and share your experience with us.

This time of year, migraine or not, most of us dive into holiday planning as deeply as we're able to. Holidays have become so commercialized that the original reasons for them often seem to be overshadowed. So, between now and January, 2016, we're saying, "Yes," to our readers who asked us to repeat last year's feature project - Thankful Despite Migraine. We'll be sharing the people in our lives for whom we're thankful as well as things, events, and more.

Is there someone or something you're especially thankful for this year? Would you like to share? If so, you can write your own post or post a comment below!

More "Thankful Despite Migraine:"

Thankful Despite Migraine - Dr. David Watson

Thankful Despite Migraine - Migraine Management Options

Thankful Despite Migraine - The American Headache Society

Live well,

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