To know I have accomplished something each day, is as important to me as the first cup of tea in the morning.  It is the satisfaction of knowing I have contributed, that I have made a stamp (no matter how minute) on the passage of time.

Prior to illness, I didn’t think much about accomplishment; I just did – driving through each day, with a mile long to-do list, at the pace of a fast-moving train.  No time was allotted for reflection or appreciation, as if I was chasing an unattainable goal.

Illness forced me to put life on hold.  I’ll never forget the day, when in the midst of moving house, my spine shut down at the bottom of a staircase, rendering me immobile. Frustration mingled with tears, as I had to concede defeat.  From that day onward, I had to readjust my definition of accomplishment.  It became a feat just to perform simple self-care routines, such as brushing my teeth.

Still, I was driven to do something, and writing filled that need.  While the body was inert, the mind kept pedalling.

As Olga (Stuff and what if…) and I discussed, a slower pace offers new perspective.  I love what she has to say about accomplishment, in her post “Creative Play”:

“My greatest accomplishment in recent years is finding what was left behind, but never lost; being a seeker of the creative life that sparked me as a young girl.”

The rebirth of creativity has certainly been the treasure in all of this for me.

Proscenium, ever the irreverent, reminds me that accomplishment is subjective.

My husband reminds me of this also, shrugging off my complaints that I don’t do enough to merit my existence.  It’s a whip of my own making, and one I am working to abolish.

Sgoeil elaborates and suggests that accomplishment isn’t always just about the self, but in the way we provide background support for others – an important perspective.  “Accomplishment” illustrates, in poetic form, the various aspects of this concept, articulating much of which I struggled to convey this week.

Please take time to visit the contributions and remember: it’s never too late to join in.

Tomorrow marks a new challenge, and we can set this theme aside and focus on that.  See you then, and as always – thanks for all the input!