Thursday, June 19, 2008

Balance


sorry i havent written lately...

I went to visit my brother, his girlfriend, and his two boys in the Berkshires for 4 days.

It was wonderful to see them. I realized it had been almost a year since i'd seen them and that was when i was finishing up my chemo. Not the best kind of visit to have.

I rented a car and drove the 4 or so hours there. They live in such a beautiful home in the woods. Their dog is a sweetie too, had fun playing fetch with her, she wanted to play tug o war mostly.

I was chatting with a friend today and we discussed Balance.

What does it mean to find balance in your life?

I've mentioned this before here that its been a challenge to do the things i want to do and yet be aware of the things that might cause some problems if i over do them. Such as eating too much salt, or lifting heavy items, or being repetitious with activities. There are so many "shoulds and should nots" to be aware of. If i were to limit myself to everything i'm not "supposed" to do, i'd have a really boring life.

Yesterday i got a cautionary lesson.

I had a lovely lunch with my father outside at my favorite japanese restaurant. I forgot to bring sunblock and got a horrible burn on my arms. I have a fancy looking farmers tan! :)

I am not supposed to get burned because it could cause lymphedema. I do NOT want lymphedema! I wasnt thinking of putting on lotion because my mind didnt go to the possibility of eating outside in the sun. I was thinking, "lunch with dad"....dont need lotion.

Now i know better.

I've been lathering on aloe and aquaphor, I used that during radiation treatments.

So, its a balance.

My friend said, "well, thats life, isnt it?"

True.

I guess I just wish i didnt have all these extra worries to think about now.

I suppose if it wasnt this, it would be something else.

I was able to balance my fun with my brother without overdoing it, going for a light hike, seeing some wonderful performance poetry, eating great food, playing with my nephews.

so, i got burned....lesson learned.

I hope.

Next lesson? we'll see.....