Did you clean behind your ears?

      "Did you clean behind your ears?"
      Isn't that just the classic mother's reminder? I doubt that I will ever hear that cliche phrase the same again.
       During one of her post accident surgeries Rebecca received some nerve damage that now causes areas on the right side of her face and head to be extremely sensitive and vulnerable to excruciating pain. Thus making it quite challenging to wash behind her right ear. However, as much as we dread  washing behind her ear, it must be done.
   Today we decided to bolster up some courage and address that area by cleaning behind her ear. After applying several lotions intended to reduce the pain I went to work. With a cue tip I tried to be as soft as a butterfly and gently clean this sensitive area. Even this slight irritation began to cause Rebecca pain and triggered nerve pain all throughout her face. Knowing I was causing her pain was painful for me. The last thing any caregiver wants is to cause pain to the person they are caring for and the last thing I ever want to do is to cause pain to someone I dearly love. But it had to be done. So I continued to work away until Rebecca told me that she had reached her limit and could not handle any more.
     As I was leaving her room to prepare lunch she said, "Anna....thank you".
  Thank you? I had just caused her to have excruciating pain and she thanked me? Yes, it was under her supervision and for her well being, but still to say thank you for the pain through the pain? And yet somehow through the pain she was able to put herself in my shoes understanding that this chore was difficult for me as well and to thank me for following through with it.
 Somehow that being thankful in all things comes back around and giving thanks in all circumstances includes experiencing pain such as the pain induced by cleaning behind Rebecca's ear. I know that I don't fully understand what it means to be thankful in all things and especially to be thankful in the pain, but I hope to be able to carry this picture of being thankful in the pain for the pain and to treasure it my heart to utilize in the moments when I do encounter pain.