Once upon a time.

Once…

More than once…

Many times…

T’was a time when everything gleamed with the healthy spring and glow of young, nubile skin. Sleep was for later and the fresh blossoms begged for plucking. ‘Tween and ‘hind were places left for later exploring…too much in the here and there needed conquering.

T’was a time when every breath breathed was one catapulted into a day, a night, a morning, an afternoon of glow. B’times it would rain, but rain sluiced off skin as waves slipslide under a freshly painted hull, along shiny varnish to twist into the waves. Everything flows.

Fine lines now guide water. Raindrops pass crinkled eyes and valley along the smile. Each breath purposefully envelopes the dawn and bids hello to the dusk. The cusp of the allthings requires that finest of balances. Curl the toes on the leeboard and point up, it’s a headwind and tacking from the here on.

~*~

I imagine most people go through times in their lives, especially when young, of feeling indestructible. I know I did…my common response when others expressed concern about the way I pushed my body has always been “Don’t worry, I don’t break, I bounce!”

Well, while I’ve bounced back from the latest impact on my life, but it’s reoriented my view a little. In the middle of February I had to have a hysterectomy. My choices were few, and none of them included forgoing surgery. I’m pretty much back to my pre-surgery self, with the added bonus of no longer being in a state of constant hormonal imbalance. 

Still, it was a shock to find my state of health where it was, and I’m changing the way I do many things, specifically granting myself the needed permission to take care of me. I’ve not always been the best about that. I plan to get much more writing done, more sailing done, and otherwise MORE done. No more coasting on the currents, I’m hoisting my sails and laying in my course. 

(Please forgive my heavy use of metaphor here. One of my self care projects is the decision to build a boat. If you’re interested in that project hop over to Swirling Currents to follow along! It starts soon!)