Budding Into Life Again

Rooftop Deck ~ Photos by SeeJayneRun.com

This is my favorite time of year: pre-summer, as spring is such a late arrival in my neck of the woods. I’m blessed to live in a part of the country that gets lots of sunshine year round but the cold and wintry days can still get me down. As with everyone, and particularly those of us with chronic conditions, the weather can play an enormous role in our daily physical and emotional health.

The science may tell us it’s a coincidence but most of us who have broken a bone, suffer from arthritis, or have had surgical repairs with metal can be excellent weather forecasters. We can tell you when there’s a change in the barometric pressure, not because we’ve seen the local forecast, but because we can feel it in our joints and bones. The country seems to have gone crazy with its recent erratic weather changes and I’m good and ready to get off this particular roller coaster. Hot as blazes one day, serious snowfall the next; that mess melts and then several days of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes touching down all over the place! Every time the barometric pressure changes, I can feel it in all of my surgical sites and it just radiates…well, everywhere! The cervical site leads to migraines and the lumbar site radiates down both legs. Sleep is impossible and when the changes are so constant and erratic, there’s never a break in order for the body to stabilize. Discomfort turns into misery and day follows day follows day.

But now…I think…I pray…summer is almost here to stay. And perhaps there can be some balance again. That, my friend, is a damned good feeling! When you’re in constant pain, your world can become very, very small, so opening all the windows and doors, bringing a little sunshine and fresh breezes inside and being able to merge with the garden is extremely liberating. Simply sitting on the front porch with my morning coffee brings me one step closer to being out and about in the world. I may not necessarily be going anywhere, but…well, I am slightly less removed.

The balmy days somehow give me strength and confidence again so when my little terrier looks at me longingly with his leash hanging from his mouth, I actually feel like, yes, maybe I could be taken for a walk today. And maybe we can go a little further than we did yesterday.

When we return from our stroll, even though I’m out of breath and need to lie down now!, the swing in the garden awaits. I collapse onto the soft cushions as Bentley noisily laps up a refreshing drink. The pain is loudly acknowledging itself but it’s manageable. The sun is shining, the breeze is cooling, the fountain and wind chimes are tinkling and the aroma of lilacs intoxicates me. And Bentley and I are a part of it all. Not a bad day.