Thursday, October 2, 2014

Rocky Road



This morning I finally finished the Blooming Leaf warp (twill block version) and cut 17 towels off the loom.  They were added to the stack of 21 scarves also ready to be wet finished, thanks to my fringe twisting elf.  Now to find out when Doug will have time to go pressing.  The show season begins in just two weeks so everything that I can get done needs to be done very, very soon.

On the other hand, I can no longer go from zero to 60, so I am going to stick with a slow but steady pace.  What gets done gets done.  What doesn't will be ready for next year...

This summer has been enormously difficult.  For the past six years I have been facing one health 'crisis' after another.  Every time I have successfully navigated my way through the current shoals, I feel positive that having two, three, four chronic conditions is surely enough for any one person?  My optimism really took a beating over the latest.  I'm not in my 30's at the beginning of my life.  I'm 64.  My body is aging.  I am beginning to understand that things will not necessarily get 'better'.  My best hope is to maintain where I am for as long as possible.

It has meant a radical shift in my thinking about what my life is all about.  What I can do.  And what I might no longer be able to do.

Good friends held out hope when I had none.  Some even went the extra mile and applied a good swift kick - metaphorically speaking - in order to get me out of my pity party.  (And I had several as things went from bad to worse, to better, then even worse.)

However, there were several 'positive' things that came out of the latest experience.  And I am going to have to hold on to that thought.

Thing is, the path of life is not smooth.  It is rocky.  It has detours.  It sometimes seems to meander in directions you really, truly do not want to go.

But that's life.  It's my life.  The best I can do is try to enjoy the journey.  It is the human condition to have challenges, heart ache and great joy.  Everyone, so the saying goes, is fighting a great battle.  If we cannot be kind, at least let us try to do no harm.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Laura, you have indeed been on a long and rocky road this year. I hope the path is starting to smooth out and your travels will be light and entertaining.

terri said...

Hang in there. I think having little pity parties are an important part of the grieving process. Thankfully, you have good friends who don't let you get stuck there.

Sharon said...

When you have given so generously to the weaving community, it's not fair but life just isn't fair. We will never meet but your posts and videos have made me a better weaver. God bless weaving! I marked one year since I broke my neck on Monday and received a steriod shot in my neck today - hence, I'm sitting in a chair or I would be weaving. It has been huge this year in helping me be positive. And unbeknownst to you, you have guided me many times.