… and so are you.
Today I was taking my walk, making one of the turns at the end of a cul de sac. There I encounter a guy I see walking his pit bull pretty often. He came across the street toward me. I removed my headphones so I could hear because I saw his lips moving. “How far do you walk every day he asked?” I answered “5 miles”. “Good for you.” he replied, He sees me out there struggling and sweating and was impressed by my determination. Ha! He doesn’t know the half. I put my earphones back in and kept moving trying to maintain my pace and get back to the time goal I had set for today.
Walking is therapeutic for me in many senses. I sometimes imagine each step is another day on my road Home. My walk is about 8,500 steps. If each step were a day, that’d be 23 years. Could I make 23 years? No way. But, each morning when I start out, I don’t feel like I can make that five miles. The first quarter mile is tough as my body is warming up. Then I hit a rhythm and it gets easier. At times I get tired. I feel the muscles in my calves seizing up. If I think “Three more miles, I’ll get discouraged.” When I feel like I can’t make the whole thing, I look down at the road and just focus on the next step, then the next step- one day at a time.
A few days ago as I was walking with Bill, he was concerned that I was “stuck”. And in one sense he’s right. I’m not in a good place. But, here’s what also came to me. I’m getting up every day. I’m going to work. I was walking with him. I have started a group to help other parents get through this journey. I am a warrior.
I hope that one day some other parent who is dealing with the premature transition of her son or daughter will read this. If you’re reading this and that’s you, I want you to know you are a warrior, too. If you’ve gotten out of bed. If you’ve eaten, if you’ve gotten dressed, if you’re just sitting there and drawing breath, you have won a victory. You have won a battle. You are a warrior. Give yourself a pat on the back and take a bow. You deserve it.
Fight on.
