Facing stark reality

Well!  Today was fascinating, to say the least. 

The husband and I took the kids to Great Adventure where said kids loved the log flume, the roller coasters (gosh I HATE rollercoasters, but went on one with them – what parents do for their kids!), the safari drive, and all that jazz.

You might wonder how, if my ankle is currently in really bad shape, I managed to do this!  The husband made me promise that if the trip went thru, I’d allow him to rent me an electric scooter.  And remembering I used one ‘long long ago back in 1993 during our trip to Disneyworld, I figured…why not?

Fast forward to guest relations.  The nice lady at the counter asked, would I like  a scooter or a wheelchair?  Immediately, my gut reaction was "NO WHEELCHAIR I do not NEED a wheelchair there’s no way in hell I’ll USE a wheelchair" ….  and various other delightful phrases whirled thru me mind as well.

That really made an impression on me, it did.

I’ve realized that I truly do have to accept the way I am and work with it to the best of my abilities.  I can no longer run with comfort; heck, I cannot remember the last time I moved at faster than a walk.   And looking at things very honestly, who is to say that some year I WILL be in a wheelchair?

Sigh.  I truly hate accepting that possibility….but I still hold to the belief that everything happens for a reason. 

My kids see how I tackle every new physical problem, and they see the fact that Mom simply does not give up.  Sure, Mom modifies what she does, and yes, Mom walks a wee bit slower than an Olympic snail….BUT! 

Mom doesn’t give up.

Being a role model for my kids is one of the most important things I can do.  True, I’d prefer to be the Mom who earns her black belt thru sheer guts and determination 3 years before her kids do, but hey….being the Mom who doesn’t give up is also most valuable as well.

I choose to no longer do my beloved 2.4 mile circle walk – I fear I couldn’t complete it if I tried.  Instead, I now do a one mile level walk (1/2 mile in one direction and then back) and take it extremely slow.  Slow indeed….but hey, I do get there! 

And when I walk, my left leg continuously tells me…."Don’t get complacent because I’m going to fail you when you least expect it!"

So complacent…I’m NOT.

• I remember being able to run.
  
• I remember being able to run up a hill!
  
• I remember being able to outlast my kids.
• I remember being able to spar the 20-somethings in karate.

No more can I do the above….but wow, I REMEMBER.

I am profoundly grateful to my guardian angel that I did have the past 2 years of improvement before my ankle started giving out.  It was truly a gift and one that I treasure.

Work-wise, I did accomplish some great updates plus also scribed:

How to dramatically increase your optin list with ease

I also alerted my list to the freebies available at this Social Media site…the joys of planning one’s blogging schedule!

And that was me day.  How was yours? 

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

Related posts:

1. Camp Ling 6/26/08 – Library walk, World of Warcraft, sparring and …
2. Camp Ling, Week 1 Day 4 – When Reality Drops In Unannounced
3. Today’s Thought To Share – Your age is a mirror
4. Kick-boxing, reality mining and one hell of a backache
5. Insights Cannot Be Forced, but They CAN Be Welcomed