My first day of home occupational therapy was yesterday,  and first day of home physical therapy was today.   My left side is so weak,  and we have a lot of work to do.  I have moments when I feel a little overwhelmed,  and wonder if life will ever be the same again.   I know it won’t be.   It can’t be,  with so much that has happened.

  At the same time,  I also know this doesn’t mean I’ll never walk right again,  or that I’ll never use my left wrist.   It just means I have to learn to do it again,  and maybe differently.  It’s a new normal, like so many other things in life have been.

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Looking through my timeline and old photos, I see photos I’ve taken from journeys I’ve taken before, and it leaves me with a longing for more adventures. Adventures that right now, I’m not able to take yet, but in so many ways, my journey is an adventure all its own.

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I look forward to the day when I can go out for a hike in the woods again,  snowshoe, take photos of nature around me.   I desperately wanted to write again,  without using voice to text,  and stand on the shores of Lake Michigan as the waves roll on.   I’ll get there.   It just takes time.

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For now, I’m just trying to enjoy this journey as much as it can be enjoyed, and to photograph the adventures along the way. It’s the little things I want to remember, like Wesley moving his dog bed closer to me just so he can watch me sleep, Chewbacca trying very hard to stay close without hurting me, and my sweet husband taking the time to make sure my legs are propped just right.

This verse stood out to me during my hospital and rehab stay,  and became something I quoted to myself during tough times.   It was also in a coloring book a family friend gave me,  and I realized yesterday that it’s on a plaque in our living room too.   It’s the perfect reminder of where my strength comes from.  My journey is far from over with,  but I’ve come such a long way. 

This journey isn’t one I would have chosen, and it’s not an easy one, but one day, maybe not too far off, I’ll stand of the shores of Lake Michigan again, and watch the waves roll in. I’ll hike through a forest and listen to the sound of birds in the trees, and I’ll finish the books I’ve been writing. And when I do, it will mean all that much more because I’ll know just how far I had to go to get there.