If you’ve known me awhile, you may have watched me deal with chronic pain and multiple hip surgeries over that 3 years. You may have also known me to work a LOT. You’ve seen me work six days a week (plus care for my daughter) for years and years. All while hurting every single day.

Then comes this major event that forces me to say no. Forces me to stay home. Forces me to find resiliency with my business model and make adjustments within days of being furloughed and restricted from places I was teaching.

This event also forces me to have space in my day for JOY. Not that teaching isn’t joyful because it is, but working/teaching 6+ days a week full time left zero space for things like gardening, bike rides and the time to spend with my sweet grandbaby.

The solid introvert in me has soaked in every day of solitude (minus my girl) with pure bliss. I am not bored. Not lonely. Not frustrated. Not lost. Not anything but extremely happy. The pain is still very present many days, but the joy overcomes the pain and I make do. I have an ankle surgery on the horizon and perhaps that will help some of the pain. Until then, I ride and I live.

Sure, I wish more than anything there wasn’t suffering. I wish people weren’t struggling. I wish there was more peace. I wish that my girl could return to her volunteer jobs and have meaning again. (And, I wish the Colorado Springs church community as a whole would see the value of people like my girl and open their buildings to allow her day program to resume services…but sadly there has not yet been a church community willing to share their space…sad but not surprising for El Paso county).

Each day is a gift and I am enjoying my bike, my sunflower dress, funky yoga pants, hikes in the mountains, bike rides , meditating, teaching outdoor yoga, gardening, my baby and everything in between.