Let me explain. I recently had a health scare that wound up being nothing, but ended up getting me so on edge while I waited for the results that I've been having a hard time convincing myself lately that I no longer have to be in that "fight or flight" mentality. My anxiety levels and paranoia are ramped up, and I've finally had to start making a conscious effort to calm myself down.
One thing that has occurred to me recently is the fact that even though this health scare wound up being a false alarm, that doesn't guarantee it will always be so. Bodies break down over time: it's just another one of those facts of life. Faces crease, hands get stiff, and eyesight softens. And the acceptance of this is a lifelong quest each person has to walk on their own. But today I choose to begin with one step: being thankful for this body that I'm in right now, at this very moment. I'm thankful that in the morning I can get out of bed with relative ease and only wince with bleary complaint over the alarm instead of legitimate complaint over the aches in my bones. I'm thankful for the legs that walked me around all four parks of Disney World at rapid speeds (we really booked it to get to all we wanted to do) less than a month ago. I'm so very thankful for these eyes that may be legally blind without my glasses, but *with* the glasses or contacts can help me drive, see the world's beauty, and especially...read. And I'm thankful for these hands that can share expressions in images with photographers, that can reach out and stroke the face of a loved one, and that can grasp a pencil and create an outlet for the worlds that I imagine.
Yes, sometimes my stomach cramps from eating spicy food, my joints swell from weather changes, and my knees ached at times during those days at Disney. My body is far from perfect. But there are so many things about it that I take for granted.
This morning I tried to take an image to convey my thankfulness for my body as it stands right here, today.
Hi Grace,
ReplyDeleteGlad all turned out well! Such a lovely photo of your hands. Having our bodies do everyday tasks is a blessing we take for granted when all seems to be working fine. When my systems started tanking it became evident there were things I could do to assist my dear body. Changes I made to my food lifestyle saved my life for real. It has been 2 years on this path and there is no going back to the processed food paradigm. Even though I already had The Painting Queen blog, I had to share my new foodie passion and thus began The Queen's Table blog too. Here I share recipes, and tips to transition to healthier ways that let the body heal itself. The body is a miracle. If we take care of it properly it allows us to live out our creative life and ideas. I agree we do need to be grateful for all this vehicle provides.
Here is a link to the other blog. http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/
Faerie Con is this weekend. We met briefly last year. Will you be there?
Crystal
Hi Crystal! I sadly won't be there this year! I hope you have a good time and tell me all about it! :)
ReplyDeleteThey are already planning next years event, so there are future opportunities. If you were at Faerie Con I am sure the photographers would have been following you around for sure! The lobby tends to be photo central! An abundance of creative costumes, and I feel they get better each year. We did have a wonderful time meeting up with old friends, and making new ones. Always a good shot of inspiration for my artist self! Then there is that shopping thing.... for unique items that you may only see there, or never again! Hopefully I will be able to do a post or two about the event at the PQ blog. When I do, I will drop you a link so you can look at the photos. Enjoy the fall... and as you know......Winter is coming! :-D
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