Life Goes On…C’est la vie…sit back, breathe and look at the big picture. Realize that everything is not centered around this subject and thus is life- life goes on. Deal with it, cope and perhaps even turn this negative into a positive. See the roses among the thorns.  My mom tells me that if I cut off the old, withered dried up dead roses on the rosebush outside my house, new fuller roses will grow.  This is a bit of a simile to life…  Things are tough, especially at this time of my life; I know people keep telling me that this is a time of transition, a time to sit back and relax, only I wish I could.

I thought at first I had this whole thing figured out, upon getting a reduction of hours at work, I would have more time to breathe, for yoga, and exercising.  Ya, I got the breathing and exercising down.  And I suppose I can do the yoga videos at home, the classes were getting a bit too expensive anyway.  Especially without earning the extra income from work.  I can get social stimulation not from interacting with people that you take a class with and get 3 minutes at most to talk.  I can visit neighbors, make dates with old high school friends.

My wonderful husband made a very good point on what else I should do with my time: read more of the Bible.  I have more time to devote to God, whether through prayer, crocheting prayer shawls for my church, or spending time with Him in devotion. There are online Bible studies that I can take, and I can read books with my free time.  And with the extra free time means more time I could dedicate to my church.  Get involved in the some other types of ministries.

I am involved with a brain injury support group now, meeting at Fairfax Hospital, the fourth Friday of the month.  I have always been a bit embarrassed about my brain injury, trying to pretend that it never happened, or that it just happened so long ago that it doesn’t matter.  But it did happen, and it does matter.  Yes, it’s amazing how much I have improved, that I got so much better than the state I was previously in, that I went to college and lived away from home, WITHOUT MY PARENTS for four years, which was extremely difficult so shortly after my accident (3 years after).  My parents were (and still are, part of) my entire support system- going away to school and functioning on my own was so hard.  And then, after being away for all that time, I returned home for 4 more years before my wedding. AND WHAT A CHANGE MY LIFE HAS TAKEN!

I am a lot happier, more carefree, it’s just that when I go to work, I dread it.  But once I’m actually with the residents, I love it!  If I forget about the coworkers, the politics and the attitudes of the CNAs.  Going out to lunch without me, (I know I need to be saving money, but it its hard when I don’t even get invited, OR EVEN TOLD THAT THEY’RE LEAVING!)  Taking over an hour for lunch break?  Not even telling the work partner that you’re leaving or going upstairs?  Seriously?  My lunch break gets cut short because there’s not another person to help.  Well, whatever…there’s no need to dwell.  Kay Sera, sera, right?