The Reason

That moment of understanding why something that could be considered less than good happened and appreciating the good that has come of it.

I was at the gym this morning, running, and was appreciating that dislocating my ankle in January was a blessing in disguise. It made me appreciate my young, healthy, beautiful body for what it is rather than taking it for granted as I had been doing recently.

It made me realize that I need to be taking better care of my body and appreciating it while it's young and healthy, as that will not always be the case. So I started running. At first it was just a way to rehabilitate my ankle and get some exercise but now it has become something more than that. It's a way of respecting my body, appreciating it, and enjoying it's abilties.  

I've also started doing yoga daily. Initially for the benefits of keeping my achilles limber and trying to get my ROM back. Along with that has come other mental benefits as well and a habit I hope to keep for a lifetime.

It just goes to show that things do happen for a reason and everything does occur just as it should. Despite the pain, mental or physical, that may be required to reach this point. It is not without purpose and when seen in that light can be a turning point and a seed for growth and change.

I think it's easy to get swept up in sadness, self-pity, and victimization when things are going wrong or you're hurt. But if we can only embrace it as part of the path, it may take us to a stronger, clearer and lighter path than we ever thought possible.

My ankle still hurts, don't get me wrong. My achilles screams at me when I over do it and run for too long or stretch beyond my limits. But I treat it tenderly, I accept the soreness and know it's part of the recovery, part of the growth and is actually a positive sign as long as I listen to it and treat it with compassion.

It's all part of this beautiful path and needs to be embraced as such. I'm loving you today my sore little ankle.