Lesson number four thousand and eight in taking victories where you find them, no matter how small: today I walked around downtown, in the sun, and survived. I went to Rotary, which was in itself a small victory, and I parked up on the street instead of in the underground parking garage. I had planned to meet a dear friend slash former business partner at the gluten free bakery three blocks from where Rotary meets. I walked down after we let out, arriving slightly before the meeting time, only to learn from the owner of the bakery that they closed at 2 pm, ten minutes from the time I walked in the door. So we arranged an alternate meeting place, two more blocks north, and I grabbed an eclair to eat along the way. I doubt I was a pretty sight, an overweight woman in a knit cap in late summer sun, staggering slowly up Main Street, panting in between bites of pastry as she walked. But I couldn’t enter a different coffee shop with food from their competitor down the street, so it had to be done.
I had a glorious visit with my old friend, and we sat for an hour and a half catching up. She was in town for the wedding of one of my daughters’ contemporaries, the child of mutual friends of ours. I got to hear about the wedding, which sounded lovely, and we talked about health and politics (we both adore the same candidate, so it was not contentious), and we generally had a good time. When we wrapped up, she walked back to my car with me, and I gave her a ride back to the friend’s house where she was staying.
My big victory wasn’t getting to visit with my friend; that was more of the prize I earned. My victory was being able to walk ten blocks outside on a warm day, however slowly, and be okay afterwards. Granted, I’ve been wiped out ever since, but a week and a half ago I couldn’t walk from my bed to the kitchen. I feel like an elite athlete compared to that. And that is a huge accomplishment.
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