Its all in your perspective

March 23, 2011

Hi ,

Very well put. I quilt also. Not nearly as much as I used to and I tend to buy

pre-cut quilts to sew now, but I also use an embroidery machine (you set it up

while sitting and walk away while it works - gotta love it) and I agree, having

something that you love to do for short periods is very different than a job

that has requirements that you cannot meet.

Kathy

Its all in your perspective

In light of discussions going on right now, I thought this would be a great

thing to share. I know that my opinions do not mesh with many and thats ok, we

are all entitled to our own. The point I was trying to get across was that while

we may not be able to do the things we used to do, there are so many other

options. So many times we put ourselves in a position (usually due to refusal to

accept reality) to do more harm to ourselves than to help ourselves. Just

because a 12 hour shift would be impossible for me doesnt mean I can't do

volunteer work for CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) as I did this last

weekend. Yes, it put me in bed for two days and my neuropathy is way up but I

did what I could and it helped alot of people. Not in the way I used to, but in

a different way. I am not suggesting that people just lay around and do nothing.

In fact, I'm not really much into reality at all LOL Because I do not tolerate

meds I spend most of my time distracting myself with activities and creating a

different reality for myself to escape the pain. One of the activities I do is

quilting. I have to alternate sitting, standing and lying to do it but it works.

Now, instead of caring for them as a nurse, I make baby quilts for babies in

intensive care. Here is another lady who finds escape in quilting and I find her

to be quite an inspiration!

March 23, 2011

Excellent. This is one of my biggest things. I may not be able to do the things

I once could, but there are so many things I still can do. I concentrate on

those things and not on the others. Not to mention, how many of us get to be 40+

and can still do all the things we could when we were 25?

There is no guarantee that anyone, able bodied or not, will have the function

tomorrow that they did yesterday. Many people go through life never having any

appreciation for the function they do have. We can be exceptions to that because

we know that things can go away. I think that makes us lucky, if we choose to

view it as the silver lining it is.

My thing to do that I know will put my butt down but I do it anyway? Dancing.

You get me onto a dance floor and I won't stop dancing until the music is done

playing for the night. I only do it once every four or five years, and I always

end up spending a week in agony after, but for those few hours I spend moving my

body, no matter how spastic I might look, are so worth every minute of it. We

adapt. It's what humans do. I love that I am aware of what I used to have so I

can really be thankful for what I have now, just in case I don't always have it.

I get to live this life moment by moment and the extra awareness of the good

moments, the pain free moments, really makes me happy. Life is a good thing and

since no one has been promised easy or perfect, I'll just look to the heavens

and be glad that it's as good as it is for me.

________________________________

To: tetheredspinalcord

Sent: Wed, March 23, 2011 3:34:36 PM

Subject: Its all in your perspective