One word that describes me is resilient. If you know me, then you know. My 16 year old self couldn’t have imagined my life today and what I’ve been through. I always manage to get to the other side and not without some bruising at times. I seek the light in every situation, no matter how painful.
I personify the saying, “I don’t look like what I’ve been through.” But there have also been plenty of joyful times mostly because I choose to be grateful and focus on the blessings.
Last week, I finally had a medical procedure that was scheduled over a month ago. I’ve never had a lumbar puncture before, but it was necessary in order to gather more evidence on a possible diagnosis. I won’t go into what the diagnosis may be in this post. I will say that the procedure went smoothly and I was impressed with how well the staff took care of me.
Unfiltered selfie before they rolled me away for the procedure on 3/16/2023
My husband, Bryan, accompanied me because I couldn’t drive home. I was put under mild sedation and local anesthesia. I was aware of what was going on. The radiologist inserted a needle in my spine, in the lower back area, to extract a small sample of spinal fluid. I was very surprised by how clear the spinal fluid was – it was as clear as water.
I made peace with this health condition last month. I had an MRI done at the end of January, and a week later, the doctor called me to tell me the findings. I was initially stunned, but I had been having some long-standing health symptoms that I put on the back burner of my mind for years except for the stuttering I acquired after the hysterectomy last January. I’ve researched the condition to the NTH degree all of February and some of March. It was the stuttering that reopened this door, although I’ve never stuttered prior to the hysterectomy.
I stayed in bed the rest of the day following the procedure….Bryan made sure of it. He lay in the rocking chair watching me nap and, at times, napping himself. I even called in from work the next day also to take in more rest, so I had nice a long weekend. My back has been sore but manageable.
On Saturday morning, I wanted to participate in the neighborhood garage sale, so I prepped my little spider plant babies I had been nursing for 6+ months. I was also selling some of my cute clothes and shoes.
My spider babies getting ready for a new home. I sold the red cardinals but still have the squirrels. They will make great gifts.
On Sunday, I took some of my homemade chicken noodle soup, garlic bread, and chocolate chip cookies to a sick coworker who lives near me. I also gave her a spider baby.
It is true that giving to others is a gift to yourself because it allows you to take the focus off of you and your problems. It fills you up with joy. Whatever happens, I’ll be ok for many reasons, including a supportive husband and family and quality healthcare.
Intention for the week ahead: May I not take things personally. May I not act defensively. May I be present in the moment more often than not. May I be patient and kind. May I remember who I am in the heat of moments that try to test me. May I indulge in a bubble bath or two.
Something happened at the end of last week where I wasn’t as stressed as in previous weeks, but it was just as hectic. I believe I settled into something. I saw things objectively. I finally detached and let it go. It was like I was a fly on a wall. I was even able to laugh at the lunacy of my day.
We’ve had some organizational shifts at work and I was anxious about the changes. However, Tuesday of last week, I honestly expressed my concerns during a meeting, and at that moment, I realized I might be able to leverage the changes for my benefit. A sigh of release washed over me. I got my mind right!
I know I’m being vague about the situation but I hope you can sift out the nuggets – let go of things you can’t control, be honest, and be yourself. In the big scheme of things, few things matter in life. Who knows??? In two days, I might feel differently, but I embrace the freedom I feel today.
Intention for the week: May I detach from things that are not my concern. May I not make decisions on emotion. May I tap into my well of knowledge, experience, and wisdom as often as possible. May I give praise where praise is due. May I rest when rest is due. And may I express love freely.
Bryan snapped this photo of me with one of many sleek Corvettes celebrating Black History Month in February.
The busy season at my work involves the state’s legislative session and I’ve been a busy bee 🐝 lately. The busy season at home is near as we get closer to our daughter’s (senior in high school) graduation and making college selections. While corralling the people at work and home to be on the same page, in their respective worlds, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of it all, at least for me.
I managed to accomplish a whole lot last week. I’ve noticed it’s easy to focus on how much more you can do when you’re on that achievement “HIGH”. It’s not necessarily a healthy place to be because I’m not taking time to appreciate what I’ve accomplished and simply be in the moment. I’m just pushing myself to do more.
Over the weekend as I tended to my many plants (read my post Flourish Part I), I noticed it was a brilliant idea for me to invest time, money, and energy into these beautiful living things because caring for them allows me to slow down, notice, and appreciate.
I thought this was Christmas cactus. I rescued this plant from the garden center about a year ago & placed her on my bookshelf in the living room. She had very slow growth then seemed to stop growing altogether but she also wasn’t dying either…just maintaining. I moved her to a window over the Christmas break & BAM! She blessed me with this gorgeous bloom over the weekend. I don’t think she’s a Christmas cactus.
This past weekend, I returned a call to a dear friend and enjoyed catching up with her. We had such a great conversation that turned into us pulling out our yearbooks and discussing old classmates. I shared some news that I’m having a medical exam soon to determine a diagnosis (I may blog about it later) and she reminded me that I’m resilient. I so needed that reminder.
My intention for this week: May I insert minibreaks into my day to slow down, breathe, and appreciate the beauty in my surroundings. May I celebrate the small wins. May I allow myself compassion for when things really suck (because sometimes they do). May I celebrate others who I appreciate. May I dig into my deep well of resilience in moments of weariness. May I dance for the sheer enjoyment.
Found this photo from a few years back after a dance session in our old garage. Dance is my favorite exercise.
Last April, my favorite people at Simple Green Smoothies had the audacity to come up with a 10-Day Salad Challenge and it was absolutely FREE. It’s a great time to start thinking about lighter eating. I received the recipes, including the shopping lists in an email. Initially, I had planned to just use what ingredients I had and modify the recipes as needed. Experienced home cooks like me know that recipes serve as guides. I was mostly ready, but then something happened….My niece visited from Chicago on Day 1 of the challenge. She blessed us for 6 days straight and we blessed her every day with the Austin, Texas food faves.
That didn’t stop me though because I made 6 of the salads while she was in town. It took me longer than 10 days. Of course, I captured every salad in my personal photos. I also attached the actual recipes/pictures from the challenge. And the salads are out of sequence according to my taste. I hope this post gets your mouth watering. LET’S GO!
My version of Strawberry Mixed Greens: Two plates because one was for my niece. I omitted the green apple because I didn’t have one and used a herb salad blend. Fun and scrumptious.The Sweet and Crunchy Salad: My version did not have pepitas and I used the herb mix again. The dressing on this one was my FAVE!Bright Berry Salad: This was REFRESHING! I hadn’t eaten grapefruit in years due to my medications, but I thought what the heck, I’m going to commit to this CHA-LUNGE. I’m so glad I did. I missed grapefruit.Vegan Potato Salad: This version surprised me! I omitted the black olives because I didn’t have any. I probably would not have added them anyway. I served with a side of homemade fried shrimp. Healthy Pasta Salad: This was the leftovers I served with half a leftover fish wrap. I used leftover garbanzo beans, red pepper, cucumber, and carrots from the Sweet and Crunchy salad recipe. I’m not wasting any food around here. I subbed green olives for black and red onions for green onions and vegan parm for feta. I completed forgot to add the herbs! It was still DELICIOUS and quick to assemble. I made it on my lunch break. Kale Caesar: Made with no kale in sight. I had romaine lettuce that I didn’t want to go back plus traditional caesar salads are made with romaine, right? I had some produce I didn’t want to waste, so the only thing I followed in this recipe is the dressing ingredients and the addition of garbanzo beans. It was yummy!
myenlightenedlife 