Courage to Change

I woke up with the blues this morning….my knee was aching, my neck was stiff, and my head was cluttered. My family was planning a New Years’ Day party in Virginia, and I wouldn’t be there. Frank and I did our morning reading, which left him wide awake and ready to go for a jog. I stayed put….slept in, telling myself that some extra rest would help my achy knee. The more I rested, the more restless, irritable, and discontent I became. So…I knew it was time to dig out my old reader, which I hadn’t seen in months.

The message, January 1, was a good one….worthy of sharing with you. “We all have dark times in our lives, but the journey to better times is often what makes us happier, stronger people….No matter what is going on around me, today I know that I am moving forward…..I will trust the process of recovery. I’ll let time take time.” (from Courage to Change)

I got up and had breakfast. I walked and Frank jogged at a nearby park, then we had a healthy lunch. A local art store, Jerrys Artarama, advertised 20% off of everything in the store, so we finished our holiday shopping, as paints were the only thing I asked for Christmas. We wound up with a beautiful palette of colors. We counted our blessings on the way home, and agreed that it’d be fine to eat the homemade soup in the fridge for the weekend….just paint, and eat soup…and write.

When we got home I took our dog, Annie, for the run in the woods I’d promised her earlier in the day. No pain in my neck or my knee, and my head was just as clear as the cool winter air. Soup for supper, the dishes are done (well, mostly), and now time to paint. Beautiful music, colors, and since I like having my painting area in the garage, the evening air will be invigorating!

A laundry list of my day, maybe. But for me, validation that I can change. I can pull my cluttered self out of the bed, and do something worthwhile. I can feed my mind and move my body. I can stimulate my senses, and read and create literature that supports my growth. I made a choice to improve my day. After all, the foundation of recovery for most of what ails us, is the willingness to change.