A Life Worth Living

There was a time when I lived in the city. Now, I cannot imagine how I survived. My time in nature nurtures me. I know how lucky I am to have undeveloped forests and meadows all around me. That's part of why I embrace every day by going out onto the trails and living life to the fullest with my dogs.

Fortunately, my dogs like this style of living.

I've developed a funny habit. I like to look back at the same date over the years that I've been writing this blog to see what happened in previous years. I've found that there's a theme that recurs throughout this blog - seize the day. That's no surprise to long-time readers, I'm sure.

I try not to dwell on it but I live with chronic pain. People like my physical therapist and others ask me what I'd tell others about how to live with pain and still be happy. My reply always is to live today like it's your last one. Enjoy the good parts and fully feel the bad parts. Don't let the pain own you.

I first realized how important it was to live every single day as fully as I could when I watched my mother die of breast cancer when I was still young. Given the hereditary nature of breast cancer, I always felt that I wouldn't live a long time. Indeed, I never visualized living longer than my mother did. With that in mind, I have now hit the age that my mother was when her cancer was discovered. I feel less fatalistic about my future now than I did when I was younger - but I do fully realize that every day is a gift.

My attitude evolved most rapidly when chronic pain became my companion when I was in my twenties. I had endometriosis, requiring seven surgeries to finally quell the intractable pain. At the same time, I was experiencing the beginnings of the degeneration of my spine and associated pain. I won't lie - I gave up emotionally for a while - because life seemed too hard.

Somewhere along the path of life, I realized that I get only one shot at living... so immersing myself in misery is a bad idea. Gradually, my attitude became "seize the day" - make it a day that was worth living.

My dogs have helped me immensely in keeping that attitude. In an odd way, even K's cancer kept me fully alive - because I didn't want to miss an instant with her.

Now it's Shyla and R. Shyla knows that her life is a gift (and I know that she is a gift to me).

And so does R.

So, we all love our mountains every single day.

And fall asleep instantly when we lie still because we've spent every last iota of energy!

Life is good.