A bean and cheese burrito, a quart of milk, a dark room and about ten hours of uninterrupted sleep. That was my migraine remedy when I was in college, and it was a remedy I had to seek out a few times a month. These days, the migraines are far less frequent, but they still happen.
I started to get one on my drive home tonight. First my vision starts to go — always a great thing when you’re motoring down the road in rush-hour traffic. Then my vision improves, but the nausea starts. After the nausea, the pain comes flooding in, and then I’m just plain ravenous and drained for hours on end.

When I was finished worrying about making it home safely, my thoughts turned to…where else? Del Taco. I needed a bean and cheese vessel — desperately. And, frankly, why stop at just one? I might as well get many, especially since I prefer the smaller ones to the half-pounders. The latter has a ratio of bean to cheese to tortilla to sauce that’s a bit overwhelming, so the baby ones are definitely where it’s at for me.

As fate would have it, I showed up on taco night. Sheesh. And since $1.09 is a bargain for three scrawny tacos, I certainly couldn’t pass those up, either.

While I sometimes get migraines because of bright light or glare, I generally get them when I’m under a lot of stress, overly tired or when I’m emotionally drained. In this case, it’s the last two.

But in the spirit of thanky, what good can come from a migraine? A lot. And I’ll play its game.

Although not sleeping well these days, I fall into a bed every night. Many curl up under a bridge or in a dark corner on cold pavement when darkness falls.

When emotions are to blame, I am grateful to feel and not walk through life numb or apathetic.

And if work stress is ever the cause, I am fortunate to have a job.

Tonight, while I am not thankful at all for the migraine itself, I am grateful for all it reminds me that I’m fortunate to have.