Movement and the Art of Traveling
Over the past several years, the word travel or traveling has taken on new meaning along with walking. I have come to see it as less about a destination and more about living life. Where every experience takes us through a variety of perspectives both those we have witnessed before and those that are brand new. The new can be in the situation, the person, or the process.
When my dad had his health journey, we traveled a lot through the emotions, the medical experiences, and the procedures. As I am the kid that lives in state, I walked with my mom in support of my dad through every procedure, every middle of the night ER call and stay, as well as observing the emotional and mental processing of my dad, my mom and my own. With my dad, we had to find the lightness and at times humor in certain situations to walk through the heaviness. Sometimes he provided that himself after an ER doctor had reviewed his circumstance, he would always ask if my dad had any other questions and without any hesitation my Dad always asked when he could get a sandwich…this became the source of some humor and a sign that my Mom and I could go in search of nourishment. The crisis that took us to the hospital was onto a new stage – and my dad’s focus was back to food.
We were the ones that felt guilty if we took something to eat with us knowing he could not eat. We, my mom and I always felt when we could find the cafeteria or coffee shop with ease, we had been there far too long. Yet taking care of us initially was a secondary thought until all my dad’s medical needs were met – and until food or a sandwich magically appeared.
Today, I was traveling a new path with my co-pilot, my mom, being the one heading in for surgery. That being said, I didn’t feel alone - it just felt odd to be on the support side physically on my own yet knowing that the angels and my loved ones were definitely on the scene and giving me updates along the way. Sometimes it was a thumbs up that appeared in my mind, other times I would get a visual from above the operating room with the bright white lights and the top of the surgical team’s heads with their masks and head coverings on. Other messages came from some feline friends while I was out walking when my mom was initially taken in for surgery…in essence sit with your intuition and allow the messages to come through to me.
Things had changed from the experiences with my dad and feeling that we had to stay on the premises all the time whereas four years later and after the initial start of the pandemic as this experience brought the use of text updates stating where my mom was at each stage, so that I could stay proximity yet take care of myself as well. Back in 2014-2019, the thought of taking a walk while a loved one was having any procedure done would not have occurred. Today, I felt it was important for me to take myself out for a literal walk around the neighborhood surrounding the surgical center for about an hour before returning to wait for the surgeon’s appearance and update following surgery. Although food is still a work in progress, water, and the movement along with keeping relatives, friends, and neighbors up to date with the latest information was at the forefront.
So, my friends whether your walks or travels take you to some distant local or through a new adventure in life or a medical journey there are always new lessons to be learned, perceptions to be perceived, or opportunities to experience and achieve.
