We can't control the weather....

...or what happens in life but we can choose our perspective and our response (notice I deliberately did not use the word reaction) to what is happening.



I felt that familiar solar plexus clutch happening. Snow and more snow and a media feeding frenzy of showing the worst scenario forecast. How will I get to my therapy appointments that are critical for me to continue to heal and rehab? What if's abounded not to mention feeling incredibly frustrated that my husband has to do all of the snow clean up and had a 2 hour commute to get home from work last night. As a survivor of years and years of trauma and being in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel across from The Forum on 4/15/13, it's easy for me to imagine and plan for the worst case scenario. My reactions and emotions can get the best of me ... and then I pause ...

Now leaving extra time and planning ahead is important. It's being able to do so with equanimity rather than panic that is the key to freedom and being able to enjoy life. As news came in about the gridlock traffic and problems with the T for last night's commute, I decided to try a new recipe to keep our side dishes warm. The salmon did get a little dried out but overall we had a really great albeit later than usual dinner together. Rather than allow my body's own feeding frenzy to happen, I laid down and put on music. Our beloved cat Jamie thought this was a most excellent idea and she curled up next to me. But before I did, as I saw the Facebook stream explode with latest computer models and outrage at the MBTA, I posted:

Instead of sharing photos of weather maps, I am sharing some of my favorite moments from this summer



Coincidentally these are some of my favorite moments that I capture in "Journey Well".

Some of my friends followed my lead and began posting their favorite summer memories. You could almost feel the shift in the barometric pressure.

Tom was planning to go out last night after work to stock up on ice melt and sand but the stores had already closed by the time he got home. Instead, he headed out this morning before work and stocked up on supplies and also topped off our gas tank. Our snow blower has a full gas tank and we are ready for whatever comes. He loves being able to do this for me and we both know how fortunate we are that he is healthy and able bodied at almost 63 years old. And he also reminds me that life is a marathon - and we do what we affectionately call a relay complementing each other's strengths and abilities going the distance together.

So while we can't control the weather and I can't control what happened to me or that I live with the effects of paralytic polio, I can certainly choose how I want to live my life. Stay tuned for more reflections on this theme in tomorrow's post ....

Journey well!

"Journey Well" and all of my inspirational books are available on Amazon.

"Journey Well" is a book about resilience, strength, courage and how we are able to journey well no matter what conditions life hands to us. I profile the people who are Boston Stronger and share how 4/15/13 was a wake up call to me to return to my healing path from contracting paralytic polio at age 5 and 9 years of domestic violence as a child and adolescent.



50% of all book proceeds are donated to AccesSportAmerica where people of all ages and abilities achieve higher function and fitness through high challenge sports and training.