A milestone to be found

It's really rather amazing to reflect on how much we can accomplish in one year. In some ways, a year flies by. I have several friends who have children who are either almost a year old, or recently turned one, and I absolutely cannot believe it is already time for a birthday. In other ways, when we think about waiting a year to do something, it seems like an eternity (I mean, come on, whenever the summer ends and you go home from camp, you cannot even fathom waiting an entire year to go back).

I recently hit a year milestone myself and I must admit that I struggled a bit with what to make of it all. A year ago, I ran my first half marathon with a good friend. Knowing what I do now, it makes sense why  the race itself was such a struggle. I mean, the word on the street is that blood flow is somewhat essential to life. Details. At the time, I couldn't understand why it was so hard and I spent most of the latter part of the race beating myself up mentally. I had trained and followed the plan, but I still barely made it. (Strong emphasis on barely...I'm not entirely sure that my mother breathed a single breath during the entire race).


In any event, exactly a year later, I received a letter congratulating me for qualifying for long term disability. Well yippee skippee, I'm disabled for the long term! Let's frame this sucker and hang it right next to my graduate degree!

Jokes aside, I know deep down that it is both a good thing and the right thing. I've made a lot of progress, but I'm in no shape to go back to work yet and being on long term disability allows me to take time to continue healing.

But how on earth do you go from training for a half marathon to receiving a letter stating that you are disabled in a matter of 365 days? It's mind boggling. To say that it humbles you to be told, in writing, that you are disabled is putting it mildly.

So here is my question: If my life can turn upside down, inside out and backwards in a year...then why can't it turn right-side up, right-side out and forwards in another year? Even in a matter of months, I have improved my strength tremendously and I don't plan on stopping here. I am on the continuous quest to add nutrition back into my restricted diet and mark my words, this lovely feeding accessory will not see the light of 2013. I'm not expecting miracles here and although it would be nice to wake up tomorrow completely healthy, it is not a thought I choose to dwell on.

So here is my pledge, typed out for all to see. In May of 2013, I'm going to set a new milestone. I don't really know what I'll do or how I'll get there, but I am going to give new meaning to the month of May, no matter if I am disabled or not.

All I'm really saying is that I think I can turn this ship around. I'll never be able to return to the same port, but I know there is an equally lovely dock to be found.