A few weeks ago, I had what honestly felt like a perfect day. It was a bright sunny day in December that felt almost stolen from the jaws of our long, cold, gray Portland winters. I woke up with almost no joint pain for the first time in ages and tons of energy. I worked out in the morning then had lunch with a friend outside, making the most of the fleeting sun. After lunch, I took a little walk because I couldn’t bear not to enjoy every minute of the sun and every minute of the gift of a pain-free body. And then I spent time with my lovely family. Five years ago, a day like that would have gone by unnoticed because most days were relatively pain-free with the exceptions of my migraines. And I was often more focused on work than on making the most of a sunny day. Now, a day without pain is rare and in some ways, it’s made me much more aware of and present in moments of pleasure. It’s awful to be in pain of course, but I feel pleasure so much more intensely than I did in a less disabled body. I don’t mean for this to sounds like inspiration porn, but I spent so many years ignoring the fact that I had a body to ever appreciate what it could do.
Slowness, disability, and the art of losing
Slowness, disability, and the art of losing
Slowness, disability, and the art of losing
A few weeks ago, I had what honestly felt like a perfect day. It was a bright sunny day in December that felt almost stolen from the jaws of our long, cold, gray Portland winters. I woke up with almost no joint pain for the first time in ages and tons of energy. I worked out in the morning then had lunch with a friend outside, making the most of the fleeting sun. After lunch, I took a little walk because I couldn’t bear not to enjoy every minute of the sun and every minute of the gift of a pain-free body. And then I spent time with my lovely family. Five years ago, a day like that would have gone by unnoticed because most days were relatively pain-free with the exceptions of my migraines. And I was often more focused on work than on making the most of a sunny day. Now, a day without pain is rare and in some ways, it’s made me much more aware of and present in moments of pleasure. It’s awful to be in pain of course, but I feel pleasure so much more intensely than I did in a less disabled body. I don’t mean for this to sounds like inspiration porn, but I spent so many years ignoring the fact that I had a body to ever appreciate what it could do.