The value in seeing each problem as an opportunity

It’s been a wild and busy season for my family. Springtime in my household is usually eventful because it’s filled with things that we all enjoy, and most days, I wouldn’t have it any other way. From January through May, our calendar is typically chock-full of youth sports such as basketball, baseball, soccer, and dance, plus school commitments and social events. But this spring has been particularly hectic.

With the added stress of a job change for my dear husband and mobility changes for me because of my progressing Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptoms, this season has been memorable, to say the least.

When my children are longing for the weekend, summer, or some particular event, I often advise them, “It’s great to have things to look forward to, but let’s not wish away days, because there’s still a lot of value in today.”

Lately, I’ve had to give myself that reminder pretty frequently.

Recommended Reading

April 1, 2025 News by Marisa Wexler, MS

Larimar to seek nomlabofusp’s accelerated approval this year

Finding value in today’s problems

I’ll find myself longing for a fast-forward button so that I can move on to the day when my bathroom will be fully renovated and perfectly accessible, or when I can roll out to my garage and find a fully decked-out accessible van, ready and waiting to take me on independent adventures. I also desperately long to fast-forward to the unknown future date when we’ll all enjoy the cure for FA, making all of this worry and stress a moot use of my mental, emotional, financial, and physical bandwidth.

Then I remind myself not to wish away days because there’s still value in today. If that isn’t enough to motivate me, I remind myself that my family is counting on me, so I need to find a way to get going even though circumstances aren’t perfect.

I’m again reminded of the children’s book “What Do You Do With a Problem?” by Kobi Yamada. In this wise-beyond-its-years picture book, the story’s main character finds himself facing an unexpected problem. He worries about “what would happen, and what could happen.” As the story unfolds, the reader sees that the more he worries about his problem, the bigger it becomes. Eventually, he realizes that he must face his problem instead of ignoring it or worrying about it.

When the boy finally faces his problem, he recognizes that it also holds something beautiful: an opportunity.

I sometimes need to remind myself that the problems I wish I could fast-forward through are just that — opportunities. When I was forced to use my wheelchair following my foot fracture in 2021, I had a forced opportunity to see what improvements needed to be done to make our house wheelchair-accessible.

When I’m feeling blue or ill-equipped to face the day’s challenges, I have the opportunity to lead by example for my children by finding a way forward or asking for help. When I feel overwhelmed, I have the opportunity to reevaluate my to-do list and make adjustments.

There is freedom in adjusting your mindset to see problems as opportunities and value in each day. That little mental adjustment doesn’t belittle the very real problems we face with FA, it just strengthens our confidence to face them.

“So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today.” — Matthew 6:34 (The Voice)

Note: Friedreich’s Ataxia News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Friedreich’s Ataxia News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Friedreich’s ataxia.