On a still bright morning
On a still bright morning after a weekend of sunlight and warmth, roused early as my better half leaves for his first day back at work after the Easter holiday, I put on a load of laundry and spend time dawdling outdoors on the front step, in the full glare of welcome sunlight. As I watch people slamming into cars and driving away, or arriving home with armfuls of shopping, I reflect, how little time any of us spends outside these days.
Certainly, we travel, but usually that is to or from the shops or work, in a car or a bus. Rarely do any of us actually spend time outdoors. And I do wonder what that means for us. We have, after all, evolved to live outside, and I know that when I catch sunlight, my mood and my energy improve. As I carry recycling outside to the collection point, I linger and marvel at my good fortune on a day like today…
While negotiating our high front step and smiling into the low sun, I twist my knee rather painfully, which takes me by surprise. Then, noticing what I’m doing wrong and making the effort for small changes – so that I sit down carefully with my feet and legs set out straight in front of me instead of twisted to the side – is important because when we have to manage a disability, we are already working at the outside limits of what most bodies can tolerate.
I’m lucky that I have the time to notice what I’m doing wrong, and how I can improve things so that my right knee, which still carries more than its fair share of my weight, will have a chance to recover. Our bodies, like our minds, recover more quickly when allowed to keep moving, so that is what I hope to do, and still aim for.
Please share:
April 22, 2019 @ 4:02 pm
I love to be outside and fortunately, while we are in France we are out more than we are in so that’s nice.
As for managing your pain and the body – I too am now trying to remember not to curl my knees under me and to try and sit more ‘elegantly’ but I’m afraid the repercussions that I suffer are caused by the number of years I have been enjoying the planet!! I hope you have many more chances to enjoy the outdoors – I think it’s good for every bit of your body. x
April 22, 2019 @ 4:30 pm
Thank you for your kind endorsement of my latest bout of lying around reading. (!) I find it odd that I can quite easily do a thing to benefit myself as long as I can find it somehow medicinal, but otherwise I still find myself dogged with a Calvin insistence on being ‘useful’ etc etc. I have just found your latest series on your blog, Diane, and am about to read it from the beginning. :-)) I hope you are enjoying France. xx
April 23, 2019 @ 6:52 am
Good Morning Fran, So lovely to see you. I’ve been in Queensland for eight days and came home the day before GFriday and have been in bed ever since with something a bit like flu. So then I get up. Have a looked at the WP Reader and there you are – out on the front porch. It’s like living in a village. I trust you are looking forward to summer time just as we here are settling down to colder nights.
April 23, 2019 @ 11:54 am
Good morning, John! Thanks for leaving such a wonderful message. Telepathy must work, because you’ve been in my thoughts, lately. Must get back to reading your blog posts! Your comments always make me smile. I do hope you are feeling a bit better. We’ve been through the mill too, and find Vitamin C in large doses especially helpful. We are loving the Spring here, full of balmy, light air and a sense of freedom with being outdoors – Lovely! Take care, angel, and speak soon. xxx