The older I become, the more I realize we only get one life, one day at a time, one fleeting moment to get it right and live like tomorrow is not promised. This life was meant to be experienced and enjoyed. We should go where we never have been and do things that we never have done. At the end of my journey I want to say I lived my life with no excuses and I have no regrets.
As I watched a sweet friend, Sean Lewis, who struggles daily with cerebral palsy, do modified situps in his wheelchair, I was moved by his determination. He said to move your body even if you are in a wheelchair because some kind of exercise is beneficial to us all. Even if you have to “find another way” you can adapt and your overall health will benefit from the movement. Even if… those words burned in my mind and in my heart. Even if… I’m tired when I wake up. Even if… I can only walk down the block and back. Even if… my body aches throughout the day. I will not let challenges define the life I live. I will find another way.
When I was younger I cheered and played sports and was quite competitive. Even with my first job of waitressing and being on my feet for eight-hours or longer, I literally ran my butt off at a very busy steakhouse and walked with my girlfriends on our lunch break to stay fit. Then when I went to teaching at a private school, I had an aerobics instructor that was 20 years my senior, who literally ran circles around me and came and did one-hour workouts with my classroom so we stayed physically fit as much as mentally and spiritually. At 35, I had rockhard calves from doing “around the world” workouts on a step-up box and keeping up with kids.
Now at 55 I have a few more challenges that life has thrown at me. Since being diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes and most recently an autoimmune disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, I wrestle daily with just getting up and getting myself going out the door. Because Sjogren’s often occurs with other immune ailments, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, it causes the body’s immune system to attack its own healthy cells. Though it usually starts with dry eyes and mouth, it quickly goes on to significantly affect your joints, thyroid, lungs, kidneys, liver, skin, nerves and lymph nodes causing joint pain, swelling, stiffness, skin rashes, swollen salivary glands, severe dryness, a persistent cough and prolonged fatigue. Now I say all this to really say I refuse to quit. Yes, I hear Sean’s words of encouragement – FIND ANOTHER WAY!
So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to find another way to keep moving and keep running this race called life. I will have to work harder, smarter and do things for myself to stay motivated and keep a healthy mindset. I know there will be obstacles to overcome. I know I may stumble but technically a stumble is still a step. I know I will have to drown out the voices inside my own head that tell me to give up and quit but with God’s help I will keep moving forward. My motto will be – Don’t ever let what you don’t have keep you from using what you do have. I may not be able to run but I can walk. I may not be able to write those books yet but I can write my weekly columns. I may not function at 100 percent but I still have breath in my lungs and a song in my heart so I will get up and keep going.
At the end of each day, I want to say I did it. I found another way. I made no excuses and I have no regrets.
