Perspective on Pain

So this post is going to be all over the place...that's just where my brain is right now. Ok, what I have left of my brain anyways :)

I woke up this morning and my body hurt. It hurts all the time now. Between the pain in my back, the growing pains from the baby, arthritis, herniated stomach, etc, etc I pretty much hurt all the time. Yes, I am complaining a little bit, but I promise, this post isn't a place for me to do a 'woe is me.'
A few months ago when my back pain started to get worse (there isn't much that they can do during pregnancy to help it...and if last pregnancy is any indication then I should feel much better as soon as she comes!) I was taking tylenol #3 when my pain scale was at about a 5. I would be lying flat on my back barely able to take care of my kids.
Now here I am, today I would rate my pain as a 5 and I didn't take a tylenol. I spent the morning walking around the botanical gardens watching my girls just being kids. I watched them run through the grass hand in hand, walked carefully around the pond counting the fish, ask me the names of every plant and flower we crossed (thank goodness they have information tags by most vegetation!) We came home, ate lunch and then when the girls went down for naps I layed on the floor with my heat pack under my back. That's the extent of my pain management. So what changed?
My perspective. That's it. Just like the pain in my body, any pain is the same. When you first have it, it's unbearable. And then you become accustomed to the new stress. I asked my Mom on many occasions how she was able to deal with the pain from her cancer. She always responded that she just did.
Just like her cancer, or the pain in my back (at least I know when I can get relief,) the Lord wont give us any trial that we can't handle. Even if it leaves me sobbing in the beginning. Isn't the human experience, both physical and spiritual, amazing?