When the Body Breaks
Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, our bodies don’t cooperate.
I have friends with replaced hips, knees, and shoulders. Others have asthma, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and more. They are facing a myriad of challenges and emotions.
It’s frustrating when things just don’t go as planned and the body breaks.
We do the best that we know to do, and it’s not enough.
I recently had this happen to me on an extremely minor scale. The day before Thanksgiving, I began experiencing pain in my left hand. I hadn’t consciously done anything that would have caused harm—or so I thought. 
Perhaps I pulled something out of whack doing my strength training class, since I had been fine before that, and not so afterward. OUCH! So, I exercise because it’s a good thing to do, and this is the result.
It was a challenge to cook and slice and dice.
There was a slight knot and some swelling. I used ice, then heat, and did some stretching exercises that I found on Dr. Google.
I was annoyed. This was an inconvenience in my life, especially when making Thanksgiving dinner.
When I tried to do the same strength training class a few days later, I discovered the move that caused the problem. I continued to do other classes that wouldn’t make the injury worse, however I was mad that I couldn’t do what I was used to doing.
I needed a break. Sometimes we don’t take the break we need until we’re forced to do so. We push ourselves until we get the flu, need the new joint, or can’t slice and dice.
Since what we resist persists, I had to lighten up my anger at my injured hand. I overworked it, and it was yelling at me the only way it knew how. I had to change my attitude to one of gratitude. 
After five weeks, I’m back with my friends, doing a class I really enjoy. I’m very grateful. It was something I had taken for granted.
Aging gracefully is tricky. Like Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, “It’s always something.”
If you’re frustrated with your body and have the desire to change your attitude, I’m here to support you. Send me an email. We’ll work on it together.
Much love,
Carol
“The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.”—Tibetan Proverb