Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
Pain. I push against it. Challenge it, like a warrior intent on proving that I am indestructible, unwilling to flinch. If I ignore it, I tell myself, then it will cease to have power over me. Except, bit by bit it gnaws at my edges, tearing me down and just as I’m about to succumb […]
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“I’ll cover the lying down!” I tell the two strangers, who have just entered my bedroom assessing what needs to be moved. “Good idea!” the tall, lanky one named Josh answers. The outside air is heavy with the threat of a downpour. Inside I pull a blanket over my prone body. I hear the grunts […]
Read More“Grandma, when will you be better?” It is 5:00 on a school morning, and I am sitting at my granddaughter’s bedside nursing her through a sore tummy. “Not sure, Honey.” “Oh,” she shrugs. She is four and has never known me any other way. Later, we snuggle up and watch Moana. “You are just like […]
Read More“I can’t process your application with the information I’ve been given,” the woman on the phone is officious, likely hates her job, I theorize. “Your doctor has only sent me four medical reports; there is not enough here to support an inability to work.” I might have guffawed at this. “I can barely manage day-to-day […]
Read MoreI’m waiting in the RV for my husband to finish shopping and drive us away. This is how a recent dream begins. For over thirty years now, I have been recording and working with my dreams as a means to personal growth. Often, where the dream takes place establishes context. For me, currently disabled and […]
Read MoreThe challenge, when dealing with a chronic illness – in my case ME/CFS – is staying positive. Momentary improvements in health are toppled by extreme crashes. It’s like living in an eddy where, every once a while, the current quiets and it feels as if there might be an escape, and then the weather shifts […]
Read MoreTravelling South in a forty-foot vehicle is not akin to driving in a car. Apart from the obvious size difference, there are other factors to take into consideration. For one, the dashboard heater has a lot bigger job to do. If you are like me, the idea of heading into warmer temperatures makes me want […]
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In dreams, I walk, no concern for the distance. I ride a bicycle, or drive a car. I move with purpose and direction… …until lucidity snaps me back to reality and then I plummet into the despair of knowing these are no longer options for me. In dreams, I confront life’s issues, face my foes, […]
Read MoreCognitive functioning is currently down a notch. (I know I’ve complained of this before, but bear with me – I think it merits understanding.) I found a recipe for Easy Lentil Curry on the blog: Simple Vegan. Since I love curries and lentils, I decided “easy” must mean it is doable even for me. Part […]
Read MoreSleeping in was a sin in my father’s eyes. Even as a teenager, no matter how late we’d been out the night before, if we weren’t up with the sun, Dad would treat us to an icy face wash. The early bird catches the worm! Laziness was not tolerated either. If we were ever caught […]
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One Woman's Quest II 