DAY SIX January 3, 2011

My healing journey inspired by the book Healing Walks for Hard Times by Carolyn Scott Kortge

Marvelous Monday. My husband doesn’t go back to the factory until tomorrow, so we feel happy to have this extra day of the New Years holiday.
I lay in bed last night finishing the Week One section of Healing Walks, and realized that apparently I was supposed to complete this section before I started my first walk. Kortge goes more in depth about how exercise and meditation techniques help us to heal. She offers focusing strategies, encourages gratefulness, and gives more detail about keeping the daily log. It’s a lot to absorb.

Pillow Talk. I close to the book and confide to my husband that maybe I don’t see this happening.
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“Don’t see what happening?” he asks.

“Me losing weight.” I’m wistful because I know in my heart that he is a big part of why I am making this effort. He deserves a fit and trim wife.

“Is that the only reason you are doing this?” (I’m impressed. He actually gets it. Who says men are shallow? )

“No, of course not. I am enjoying the whole project. It just seems that it would have to be stepped up so dramatically to actually make a difference in my weight. “

“Well, “ he says, “there are other ways to burn calories.”

“Like?”

“Sweeping, mopping, hanging laundry out to dry. You know, stuff like that.” My man, so practical…a rock, really.

Saying Thank You: I am intrigued by how many instructional insights in the book occur naturally as I walk, but am so grateful for the printed guidance that gives words to what I am experiencing. It helps me to focus and to recognize and squelch negative aspects before they become habits like weeds in the path of my healing walks. Kortge suggests using the time toward the end of my walk to mentally say thank you for all of the cooperative pieces that made the walk possible. Without consciously remembering this, toward the end of my walk, I suddenly was overcome with thankfulness for my legs. From a worldly beauty perspective, my legs do not have it going on, so to speak. However, today, I saw the beauty in their dutiful ability to march along, oblivious to the cold wind penetrating my gym pants. With this new perspective, I now have a new definition of “great legs.” I chanted part of a hymn, “Fear not I am with thee, peace be still” over and over. I considered the omnipresence of God and His presence on this walk with me. There aren’t words to describe how that feels.

This morning, I started Ken’s coffee, ran a sink full of soapy water for the dirty dishes that magically appeared overnight, and scooted out the door optimistic about my walk. The ground was covered in white frost. The puddles were iced over. I walked 38 minutes bundled in my coat and gloves. I came home rejuvenated. That feels good.