LIFE IN SLOW MOTION
By: Laurel A. Aiyana
For most, life passes by at a rapid pace. Work, kid’s activities, and daily responsibilities keep people busy all day. For 20 years, I functioned on overload to get every thing accomplished on my agenda. Addicted to activity, I filled every waking hour with something – soccer games, bible study, endless household chores, working out at the gym, etc., etc., etc. Keeping unbalanced schedules for so long, finally took its toll when chronic illness left be bedridden for six months. While compulsive activity did not cause my health crisis, it certainly aggravated my condition. My life came to a screeching halt, and only went forward in slow motion.
While recuperating, refocusing priorities and establishing balance became important to me. Severe arthritis prevented me from doing more than a limited number of activities each day. Attacking one activity per day seemed to be my limit for what seemed like an long period of time. Grocery shopping, for example, can only be done on a day when I have no other tasks, and I must rest afterwards for a considerable amount of time. Frustration resulted. On better days, I attempt more. Additional down may be required after the fact. Balance, balance, balance, became the word of the day, and a hard lesson learned.
Prior to my collapse, friends referred to me as the ‘Energizer Bunny.’ That bunny’s batteries died! Life seems in slow motion now. I walk with a cane, take baby steps. Outside activities, while at first eliminated, have been added to my schedule very, very slowly, and only after carefully planning my days. Now I returned to church and bible study, but hesitate to consider others. Providing a new focus, this experience reevaluated essential from non-essential, and identified the really important.
Copyright (c) 2005 Laurel Aiyana. All rights reserved.
A single mother of two, Laurel resides in Milford Center, Ohio where she spends her time developing her skills as a writer.
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