A few weeks ago brought another health challenge. As we walked through another possible surgery, I kept thinking of all the amazing gifts we’ve been given. My family and I can walk, talk, see, and hear. The older we get the more our bodies can resist harder workouts. I love to workout, but sometimes we’re reduced to walking. And guess what? That’s okay. I can still hike, snowshoe and ski, but in the midst of health hardships, how do you keep going?
Put one foot in front of the other.
You get up each day and make the decision to keep moving forward. My mentor has a saying, ‘you keep on, keeping on.’ It doesn’t mean you don’t question, worry, or think of the what-ifs. You certainly do, but keep at it until you learn how the health hardship is going to affect your quality of life.
I teach Silver Sneakers at our local recreation center and have a lady in my class who is wheelchair bound. This chair is pretty incredible because it stands her up, so she is upright to do the class. When we dance, she smiles, and moves her arms and wheelchair to the music. She always has the best attitude and laughs at my corny jokes. I’m in awe of her because she gets out of her house everyday to come workout and is always smiling. She reminds me we may not always have all of our abilities, but it should never get us down to the point of giving up.
You face the health hardship straight-on.
One of my best friends’ father was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. He’s in the process of doing chemo and radiation every week. Even though we’re across the country from one another, we talk weekly for support. This friend has also helped me face several of my health crisis head-on. Whether it’s cancer or a debilitating disease, you collect all the info, and make a game plan. There are multiple questions we ask when faced with these situations. How can we overcome? What steps and treatment plans are there for us? How are we going to pay for it? How can we pray? Making a game plan, figuring out the costs, and moving forward can help anyone face these types of health hardships.
*Side note: Always seek the advice of doctors and counselors when it comes to mental health. There are different components to consider with your doctors and counselors.
Find your joy and hold on.
Viewing life as a gift is so vital to be resilient during health crisis. What makes you joyful, smile or laugh? Find it and hold on tight. We all will face health issues as we age. You think you are never going to have aches and pains, but it happens. The last 5 years have been filled with these come to Jesus moments. I’ve learned to not let it get me down and in those moments my kids remind me how to laugh. They help me see how important laughter is when walking through health issues.
Coming out on the other side of cancer made me stronger while holding onto joy. My friend’s father puts one foot in front of the other when he thinks he can’t. The lady in my Silver Sneakers class ‘keeps on, keeping on’ every week. All of these health issues shows you freedom is possible. It’s within reach to cultivate freedom in our mentality, in finding joy and putting one foot in front of the other. So, ‘keep on keeping on’, and each health issue you face can make you stronger.
