This weekend was spent moving our Boston daughter into a new apartment. Last night, after being bent over an Ikea bed for four hours, I decided to stay the night because we still had a desk to assemble. I drove back today went to night yoga, dragging a bruised and broken body into the studio for some much needed repair. My teacher from the black lagoon was there to greet me and her class did not disappoint. I left thoroughly twisted, stretched, heated, and…feeling amazing…not only physically, but over the fact that I pushed through the whole class, took good care of myself, turning what could’ve been an “I’m giving up class” into a “This is exactly what I need class”. (I also had no idea the fan was on for the whole last half of the class.)
My persistence in the mirror had me thinking of the unwavering persistence of the daughter whose move left me in this achy condition. Switching careers from teaching to writing is like starting life all over again. I’m stumbling one day and strong the next. I was drawing on my daughters example of how, the moment she graduated from college, made up her mind she was going to be a graphic designer in Boston and nothing was going to deter her. She just moved into her third apartment in the city, and recently started a new job there – all improvements and steps up in both situations. And she’s only 26. Thinking back to her unwavering tenacity five years ago, and moving her this weekend, made think as I zeroed in on my own eyes in the mirror tonight, that I should take a lesson. Set my sights on what I want to do, focus, and don’t be deterred. Quite a kid I have here. Where did she get that from?
Then I almost fell out of standing bow laughing. I decided at nine years old that I was going to be a fourth grade teacher. I decided at twelve years old my husband was who I was going to marry. By thirty I decided I was going to retire to the cape and write. And NOW I’m questioning if I’m going to be successful at it?
And so, as another day goes by, I learn from my child to stop and take a look at just who I was….and still am today, and …I have written.
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