As a teenager, I didn’t struggle with body image. I had my days, but generally speaking I was happy with how I looked. I didn’t need to impress people. I knew I was beautiful. That freed me up to spend time doing more important things. I say this not as a point of pride, but … More Day Thirteen: Receive Beauty (Part Two)
This picture came at the end of a really hard day. I was already emotional when I had to drive across the city in torrential rain. As I got close to home, the rain started to let up. This rainbow was so close I felt like I could reach out my car window and touch … More Day Twelve: Receive Beauty
“Release” first brings up images of The Giver where it was a synonym for death or more specifically euthanasia. It is hard for me to get over that image. I’ve tried to come up with another word that could mean the same thing, but I’m coming up blank. It does feel mildly appropriate in that … More Day Eleven: Receive Release
A year ago, I started running. I could run about three blocks. I wish I was kidding, but a mile seemed like a lofty goal. Running was also a generous term to describe what I was doing. Slowly and surely, I was able to run farther (and faster). After about a month I could run … More Day Ten: Receive Endurance
I knew I needed to take time off of teaching. I love working with kids, but right now is not the time for me to be in the classroom. I still don’t quite have the energy to commit to a 40 week school year. I also believe the education of children is too important for … More Day Nine: Receive Work
There are different kinds of laughter. Sometimes laughter is mean or at the expense of others…this is not the laughter I’m referring to today. There is also laughter as an alternative to crying. This can be a helpful coping mechanism when it is one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, but it … More Day Eight: Receive Laughter
Over this past year, I’ve gotten better at asking for help. When I was leaving Japan, there were a lot of things I couldn’t do on my own. I needed help paying taxes. I needed help throwing away garbage when I moved. (Seriously, this is much harder than it sounds.) I had to have someone … More Day Seven: Receive Help
For over two years I lived with heightened anxiety. Panic attacks were pretty normal. I learned to live with them. I continued on with normal life. I had fun with friends. I tried to stay kind and pleasant. Most people around me never knew. People knew I wasn’t healthy, but they didn’t know how bad … More Day Six: Receive Security
Shortly after returning to Minnesota, I went to the doctor for a general wellness visit. At the end, she told me I was very healthy for my age. I had given her some of my background, and even she was perplexed. Only a year before that visit, I was far from healthy. My resting heart … More Day Five: Receive Health
“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today,” said Pooh. “There there,” said Piglet. “I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.” ― A.A. Milne Over the last several months, I’ve discovered I have more than one friend like Piglet —caring, compassionate, and so brave. As I’ve been walking through the process of healing, … More Day Four: Receive Friendship
