The healing waters

A good friend wrote to me yesterday and told me she went back to a year ago in my blog. She pointed out that things have come a long way. A year's journey from illness to ...better than illness. A year ago I was on narcotic pain meds still, after the PVNS surgery. I was waiting for approval for physical therapy and hydrotherapy, and the hip was killing me. Then came the appendicitis. She pointed out that these days I write more about emotional healing, and overall seem to have an average of better days. I liked that letter (MZ- you're a treasure), and it gave me the push to look back a bit, too. Some other things that stuck out for me were my decision to do the reconstruction surgery, and to write my book. Future plans and visions. Those are good things. Eyes on the prize.

I don't feel I can do the future plan thing so well at this point... doing the one-day-at-a-time thing works better. There is a time for everything under the sun.
Oh-- one thing that caught my interest was to see that this pattern of sleeping lots and lots was there then, too. And I questioned it the same way. Healing happens in sleep. I'll work on accepting the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference (...hat tip again to my friend's letter).

So in keeping with the one-day-at-a-time theme, today was a Really Good Day!
I went to the pool, and again, emerged a changed woman. I **love** that place! I love the way the health club feels when I walk in, the friendly and helpful staff, the cleanliness and newness of everything, my locker, and the perfect pool. Half olympic size, so my number of laps feels like a bigger accomplishment. Today I did 100 reps of each of my hydrothrapy exercises (!), and 18 laps (9 olympic, but I like 18 better). I loostened up my thigh and hip, and felt so great. When I do back stroke laps, I am presented with the gift of the skylights in the ceiling. White puffy clouds and the sparkly sun, shaded with a perfect type of shade that lets you enjoy the sun and not get stunned by glare. That was when I gave praise to Hashem... right there in the back stroke.

Then I picked up my sweet daughter, who comes home an hour & a half before her three brothers. I love that time we have together. Then the troops came home, and the babysitter arrived. I made a great dinner, helped with homework, layed down with Azriel till he fell asleep, and had quality time with the two older boys who remained awake after the littler ones went to bed. I had a good end to a good day. What a Blessing! And it's good for me to have the babysitter. The extra hands mean I don't get stretched too thin. "Doing it all" is not all it's cracked up to be; I vote for hiring help. That is what I call accepting the things I cannot change.

And as for the future, well, I am just looking forward to a day without Voltaren pain relief. This is not a long term goal, I feel it in my bones. One Day At a Time.