1) I am grateful for my father who drives me around right now to the places I need to go. It's difficult having to rely on my family for so many things...and it's really crazy when I think about how long it's been since I drove a car. This makes me feel like a child some days....sometimes I feel helpless....but allowing others to help is a gift to give others and I am incredibly grateful to feel supported and loved.
2) I am grateful for my therapist team at Kessler and my old Kessler buddies. Today was my first day back and I got right up to standing in the parallel bars again. I hopped both feet and even isolated each leg to take steps on their own...left right left right....day one back to rehab...I'll probably be there for at least 2 months now. I still feel nervous and scared when I have to learn something new as a paraplegic....but I continue to remind myself of how many challenges I have already overcome since last June when sitting up in bed felt impossible. I am steadfast, strong, and I feel ready to strive for more and more.
3) I am grateful for life's challenges....for testing my strength. Today my nephew and my father became sick...I ended up watching my niece for a good 45 minutes by myself and I managed it fine. I even loaded the dishwasher. Small but significant tasks are feeling less and less like "big deals" now. I feel grateful for these challenges because although I feel afraid, doubtful, or angry about something...I can use those feelings to fuel myself to try again or push harder. I could def write a whole blog about how challenges become our greatest gifts and opportunites...
4) I am grateful for my breath. This one has been hitting me hard lot lately. I find that I hold my breath a lot...and I tense my whole body. Like right now...I just took a huge breath and felt a big sense of relief. I am noticing whenever I am feeling reactive or stressed that I can take a deep breath and begin to feel grounded. Breath is a miracle...it's our own natural medicine...a powerful tool...it's our essence and it's universally shared....we are breathing the same recycled air that our ancestors and dinosaurs and trees and all those yet to come have breathed or will breath....right? yea....so breath and appreciate your breath....some people like those with cervical spinal cord injuries need help to breath on their own...what a miracle we take for granted! Breath makes me feel sacred, grounded, aligned, and ohmmmmed.
5) I am grateful for hugs. Today after I took my first stand in the parallel bars, one of my therapists from in-patient turned around and saw me...she was totally surprised to see me and ecstatic to see me standing. She ducked under the bars and hugged me. Standing up and hugging someone feels so good. For all you people who have the ability to stand and hug...please do so as often as you can. Not only it is healthy for your mind and emotions...it's healthy for your body! Physical touch helps me feel comforted, relaxed, at ease, loved, nurtured, cared for....alll those cuddly lovey feelings.....it releases the hormone oxytocin in your body that do these things...it is healthy! Hugging someone in a wheel chair can feel so awkward and dissatisfying. So hug hug hug people...it's def some serious medicine.....check it out: Amma "The Hugging Saint" here and "The Power of the HUG" here (talking about the physical importance of physical touch and hugging!).
Lots of love, to another day in the life. Blessings and Namaste
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