Wednesday Wisdom
If you’ve been following along with me the last few months, you may have noticed that I’ve been a little busy. As one friend put it, “you’ve been all over the place!” It starts with traveling to different cities in Wisconsin to receive proclamations. Then to picking up donations and meeting with sponsors for our annual walk. But the highlight was traveling to the National Scleroderma Foundation’s annual conference in Baltimore, where I accepted their highest award for volunteer service and presented an impactful workshop. Both of which were among the biggest thrills of my life. That was followed by staying the week visiting longtime friends in Pennsylvania. Whew!!! It HAS been a lot. And I enjoyed most every part of it.
In some ways, I tried my best to put the idea my being a Scleroderma patient on the back burner. As if that were actually possible. And although I felt better than I had in a long time; somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that a part of my mental and physical well-being was being sacrificed.
Scleroderma is not a benevolent bookie! It’s always keeping tabs on the what’s borrowed. And I had to ask myself questions like, how much is this going to cost me and how will repayment be demanded. And of course, will it be worth it?
Today, as I sit writing this, I’m living the answers to those questions. As fatigue and exhaustion are cashing in their chips and nasty GI issues, muscle and joint pain are knocking at my door. I’m not going to lie, it’s kind of rough. But to answer the question of if it was worth it…I say absolutely yes! Especially those authentic Maryland crab cakes! Another joyful heart list item fulfilled!
The line between setting big goals to pursue exciting challenges that make us feel like we’re still relevant in the world, and pushing ourselves up to and beyond our limits can be razor thin. And only we can make those choices.
The key is to know our limitations and set realistic expectations. Not just focusing on the thrill of the end goal, but also the consequences that may be suffered as a result of meeting that goal.
I think life itself is just series of comprises where we’re forced to make decisions on how to prioritize what’s most important to us on any given day.
Moreover, it’s about giving ourselves the space and grace to recoup afterwards so that we can readjust and come back, hopefully even stronger.
This time with a renewed sense of accomplishment and pride.
