Yesterday, August 19th, was initially set aside for a clinic day. But in early August I decided to push the appointment back a couple of months. I rescheduled. So instead my day was spent offering landscape suggestions to a friend, picking Claire up from kindergarten, errands, birthday party carpool, talking to distant friends on the phone, doing some dishes, reading books with all 3 kids and eating a bowl of ice cream with Jeff. It was a good day.
I look at my body and think that there have not been a lot of changes since my last clinic day. While there have not been any significant changes, muscle atrophy remains my ever constant (and always unwelcome) companion. One big example would be how much more difficult the same hikes are this year compared to last year. And despite my new poles I still manage to trip at least once per hike. One small example would be how I can't push open safety pins with my thumb.
There has been another change which is: I don't mind talking about als when people have questions. I think I realized this when one day Jeff's brother sat down next to me, took my hand and examined it. He then compared it to his wife's. Later he said something along the lines of how there wasn't much muscle left at all in my hand.
Don't you think that any of us are alive at the end of the day is a miracle? There are so many things which can go wrong on any given day. Considering that, I have over 33 years worth of miracles as it is. I love being able to laugh, cheer, scream, cry, hurt, forgive, be forgiven, heal, pray, love, and laugh some more.
And at the end of the day I love being grateful for one more miracle.
