From the Shores of the Ottawa River

What does it mean to love yourself?  To me, it means to have gratitude for my entire body, Yes, even my limitations.

When I do a gratitude meditation, I have never felt it was difficult to be grateful for what I have because of the times for short periods when I lost the use of my leg, after I tore my meniscus, and the function of my brain, after a partial stroke.

To be sure my physical “normal” is different than the average person, and yours could be too. , It can even be different than when you were younger.

My efforts are always  to bring physical functioning to my “normal.” I accept I would never be an athlete or run a marathon, but I can walk, albeit slowly, and I can take my time and enjoy the flowers along my path.   

To me it is simple things I am grateful for. As an  example, after my meniscus healed, I was so grateful to be able to take two steps without excruciating pain, and I never forgot the times when I needed help to get from A to B, especially when I was traveling. Even having to manage the small step onto a plane  that resulted in unbearable pain to me.

I can now walk throughout the house without experiencing knee pain, even the stairs, but I never forgot the times when that wasn’t possible.

The next hurdle I must overcome is to pass my field test to have my driver’s license reinstated. It has been 5 years since I drove a car. Can you imagine losing your driver’s license for even a month?

When I do gratitude meditation, I remember to thank my knees, and my brain for getting me to this point, and I am very grateful for my new normal. 

I urge you if you have the full functioning of your legs, whatever your normal is, be grateful for the function you do have.

Often, we lose sight of what we have and worry about what others think, we have put on too much weight, or we don’t like to wear glasses, or even using a mobility aid.

For me,  all it took was a change in my perspective, after my partial stroke and a good friend who helped me get into my car said to me let me get your assistant for you, meaning my walker.  It changed my perspective on how I viewed  it. I was no longer ashamed to use it, which is not often, mostly when traveling.   However while I was traveling, I even became grateful for it. I  put my purse on it, my carry on, and other things. It was a helpful assistant.  🙂

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