Music is one of my greatest lifelines, and moving my body to the songs I love is a kind of euphoria I never want to lose.
Last night, knowing my spinal challenges and Lupus required care, I still got lost in the music—“Hurts So Good” (pun intended). I stood up beside Dan at the restaurant table and began to move with joy and exhilaration…and belting out the lyrics. 🙂
He gently put his arm around my waist and said, “Please be careful… you don’t really want to ‘hurt so good.”
And…he was right.
Afterwards when I got home, I lay awake convinced I might have re-fractured my spine. I even considered going to the ER. Thankfully, this morning I can breathe again—literally—and my body is okay.
And…lesson taken to heart.
It is frustrating at times, learning to honor a body that has changed. I can’t dance the way I once did. And…I am deeply grateful that I can walk with ease, work, and share life with the people I love.
I am holding space for the “ands” in my life.
I have limitations, and I still live a full, meaningful life in a body that has carried me through illness, addiction, heartbreak, loss, and even seasons when my spirit felt broken.
Life looks different now—but the “ands” remind me it is never black and white. There is so much life in the shades of gray.
I can still dance—more gently. I can still sing at the top of my lungs. I can still feel the music “move me”, experience nature, and words deeply, in ways that honor who I am today. I can still feel the euphoria when my grandchildren shriek with joy simply by being in my presence—just as I am.
I embrace the challenges and the experiences that bring me deeper self-awareness in my aging body, uncovering new strengths and resilience as I live into this evolving version of my life.
And that, too, is exhilarating.
It really is about how we choose to embrace change…and, choosing new perspectives.
We create the trajectory of our new normal.
Love and blessings,
Wendy
Write Pray Recover 