May be the wrinkles which appeared. Or the white hair, although usually I don´t mind too much. It is rather the comments which sometimes are addressed because of this which could make me think of investing more into hiding this fact. But overall, I could give more attention to the body. I am thankful for the body for having me carried this far.
I’ve had a small, but strong body for all of my life . . .
resilient to a fault.
I bounced back from a broken collarbone,
broken leg,
cuts with stitches,
cuts without . . .
various strains and sprains,
always to go back on my merry way through life . . .
split my head open on a homemade wooden swing,
went running down the hill screaming my lungs out . . .
recovered from that too.
Oh yes,
and the lovely childhood diseases came and went,
along with severe bouts of poison ivy almost every summer,
which were the worst.
As an adult
I was unkind to my body
and took it for granted
that I could recover from anything . . .
it has given me both unimaginable pleasure
as well as unspeakable pain.
I’ve borne two children,
overdosed a few times,
and had to get a new hip.
Now,
at 76,
I am in pretty good health.
The only thing that has really betrayed me
is my lower back,
which I have judged myself harshly for.
I am grateful now though,
for it has held up under all of the indecencies I’ve submitted it to,
and continues to do so . . .
I am learning to respect it’s strength and durability,
even as its function has diminished,
and to be thankful for the gifts it has given me.
I am learning from it
to be patient and more compassionate
not only with my back,
but for my whole body,
for others,
and for the world around me.
We all learn our lessons in good time. ♥
Mostly my face. Seeing my face age is upsetting to me.
I haven’t made peace with aging.
In AlAnon I realized that some things were just to hard for me to do
and that I needed to ask God for the strength.
I’m so resistant though.
I definitely need to take this to God.
I have done better,
dear Mary,
with embracing my scars and wrinkles and white hair
than with fighting them.
If you’ve ever embraced
(and I think you have)
something,
whether it be fear or loss,
instead of fighting,
it all seems to go better.
Sending love . . . ♥
I embrace myself in the now by not reminiscing with photos from earlier versions of myself. I do not remember who said this and I paraphrase; A person who enters the train with a newspaper to read during their commute to work, is not the same person who exits the train, as the person who entered it.
My head, the controller of my whole body. There are many times I experience headaches, and I know I need some rest. In those moments, I judge myself as just being lazy. But when I calm down, I realize that my head truly needs to rest. May everyone have a wonderful weekend filled with joy and love.
My Ngoc, I don’t think you’re lazy at all. We live laid back lifestyles. Both fall under the same roof making it easy to confuse the two. I’ve noticed that rest has always helped your head.
My stomach. I ignored a lot of warning signals, and if I can anthropomorphize for a moment, my stomach let me get away with it, for a while. Now I need to be careful and considerate of what, how, and when I eat so that my stomach can heal. My gut acts as a guide, showing me how to be healthier. My will and desire, especially for sweets, take a backseat. My stomach can only heal under specific conditions, and it’s up to me what attitude I adopt. If I keep doing what I was doing, there are grave consequences, so I can’t ignore, dismiss, minimize anymore. If I express gratitude, I can more easily slow down, witness, savor, appreciate, and heal in a positive way.
Garlic has become my digestive systems nemesis Drea and dear Sparrow. Easy enough to control how much is used as seasoning at home but so at others homes.
I have my lungs. We’re getting to that time of year where colds and flus are ramping up. Even if it’s 60 degrees outside, I still need to wear a jacket when I go out walking.
Loc, I find it hard to adjust to colder temps even if “cold” means going from 80 to 60. It always takes me a couple of weeks. I’m sure by the time February rolls around, though, 30 will seem warm. Right now, 60 seems cold to me too.
I’ve got some white hairs coming in on my head. I usually pull them out and do not feel too happy about them. But I can be grateful that I am alive long enough into my life to be reaching the age of getting white hairs!
Good reminder, Elizabeth. I remember reading somewhere that it’s pretty recent for us as humans to live as long as we do, historically 40 was pretty old!
My back has been amazingly good lately and I don’t usually stop and appreciate it when it’s not hurting.
So there ya go. Thank you back for everyone do for me. In an instant, I can go from doing things without even noticing, to having extreme difficulty even putting on my socks. Moving around without paying and discomfort is really something to be grateful for.
Yes,
it is,
dear Charlie . . .
I can certainly attest to that.
What was it Joni Mitchell said,
“Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” ♥
My 6 1/2 yr old new right knee. I walked in an anti-trafficking consciousness raising event Friday morning. I did ok for the most part. City terrain of busted sidewalks was hard on it. Friday night my knee enjoyed receiving some healing topical balm. Restful weekend all!🌻☮️
My whole body is calling for gratitude. I had lost my yoga practice and exercise routine when I went full time running the restaurant and catering business with my husband a couple years ago. My body was feeling it, and when we sold our business in July 2025, I couldn’t squat down without using something to help me easily get back up. We left that life behind and started all over, and as some of you know, I finished my yoga teacher training (well, the first part) and found a great studio to call home. I practice and teach all the time and am also taking cardio strength classes at the fitness center I teach at. My body feels better. Stronger. Healthier. I can squat and stand up with no issues, and then some! So despite the changes I am dealing with being a 52-year-old woman, this beautiful body of mine deserves thanks instead of judgment.
I am grateful for my body as it is a Gift of Life. The amazing job my body and all its parts does each and every day.
I am also grateful for my job working for a Tissue Bank, as well as, having worked for a Blood Bank years ago – grateful to see and always promote organ, tissue, blood, plasma, and platelet donations.
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May be the wrinkles which appeared. Or the white hair, although usually I don´t mind too much. It is rather the comments which sometimes are addressed because of this which could make me think of investing more into hiding this fact. But overall, I could give more attention to the body. I am thankful for the body for having me carried this far.
Well said, Ose. ♥️
I don’t judge my body – it is what it is. But I could give a little more care to my back and my knees, and eat a bit less to help my tummy😂
I’ve had a small, but strong body for all of my life . . .
resilient to a fault.
I bounced back from a broken collarbone,
broken leg,
cuts with stitches,
cuts without . . .
various strains and sprains,
always to go back on my merry way through life . . .
split my head open on a homemade wooden swing,
went running down the hill screaming my lungs out . . .
recovered from that too.
Oh yes,
and the lovely childhood diseases came and went,
along with severe bouts of poison ivy almost every summer,
which were the worst.
As an adult
I was unkind to my body
and took it for granted
that I could recover from anything . . .
it has given me both unimaginable pleasure
as well as unspeakable pain.
I’ve borne two children,
overdosed a few times,
and had to get a new hip.
Now,
at 76,
I am in pretty good health.
The only thing that has really betrayed me
is my lower back,
which I have judged myself harshly for.
I am grateful now though,
for it has held up under all of the indecencies I’ve submitted it to,
and continues to do so . . .
I am learning to respect it’s strength and durability,
even as its function has diminished,
and to be thankful for the gifts it has given me.
I am learning from it
to be patient and more compassionate
not only with my back,
but for my whole body,
for others,
and for the world around me.
We all learn our lessons in good time. ♥
Being a female, all parts are subject to judgment! It is something we are taught as female children and continues through our adult lives.
At 70, my whole body is functioning well, so I am very grateful for that.
So true,
dear Linda . . .
we girls
fight that our whole lives. ♥
Mostly my face. Seeing my face age is upsetting to me.
I haven’t made peace with aging.
In AlAnon I realized that some things were just to hard for me to do
and that I needed to ask God for the strength.
I’m so resistant though.
I definitely need to take this to God.
I have done better,
dear Mary,
with embracing my scars and wrinkles and white hair
than with fighting them.
If you’ve ever embraced
(and I think you have)
something,
whether it be fear or loss,
instead of fighting,
it all seems to go better.
Sending love . . . ♥
I embrace myself in the now by not reminiscing with photos from earlier versions of myself. I do not remember who said this and I paraphrase; A person who enters the train with a newspaper to read during their commute to work, is not the same person who exits the train, as the person who entered it.
My whole body needs a break ! lol 😂
My head, the controller of my whole body. There are many times I experience headaches, and I know I need some rest. In those moments, I judge myself as just being lazy. But when I calm down, I realize that my head truly needs to rest. May everyone have a wonderful weekend filled with joy and love.
My Ngoc, I don’t think you’re lazy at all. We live laid back lifestyles. Both fall under the same roof making it easy to confuse the two. I’ve noticed that rest has always helped your head.
My stomach. I ignored a lot of warning signals, and if I can anthropomorphize for a moment, my stomach let me get away with it, for a while. Now I need to be careful and considerate of what, how, and when I eat so that my stomach can heal. My gut acts as a guide, showing me how to be healthier. My will and desire, especially for sweets, take a backseat. My stomach can only heal under specific conditions, and it’s up to me what attitude I adopt. If I keep doing what I was doing, there are grave consequences, so I can’t ignore, dismiss, minimize anymore. If I express gratitude, I can more easily slow down, witness, savor, appreciate, and heal in a positive way.
Garlic has become my digestive systems nemesis Drea and dear Sparrow. Easy enough to control how much is used as seasoning at home but so at others homes.
More power to you,
dear Drea,
for your thoughtful reply.
My nemesis is cheese. ♥
Your response is wise and Insightful, Drea. ☀️
Drea, I know all too well about those sweets as a diabetic.
I have my lungs. We’re getting to that time of year where colds and flus are ramping up. Even if it’s 60 degrees outside, I still need to wear a jacket when I go out walking.
Loc, I find it hard to adjust to colder temps even if “cold” means going from 80 to 60. It always takes me a couple of weeks. I’m sure by the time February rolls around, though, 30 will seem warm. Right now, 60 seems cold to me too.
Drea, you and me are the opposite there. I have a hard time adjusting to the hot but have a habit of underestimating the cold.
I’ve got some white hairs coming in on my head. I usually pull them out and do not feel too happy about them. But I can be grateful that I am alive long enough into my life to be reaching the age of getting white hairs!
Good reminder, Elizabeth. I remember reading somewhere that it’s pretty recent for us as humans to live as long as we do, historically 40 was pretty old!
My back has been amazingly good lately and I don’t usually stop and appreciate it when it’s not hurting.
So there ya go. Thank you back for everyone do for me. In an instant, I can go from doing things without even noticing, to having extreme difficulty even putting on my socks. Moving around without paying and discomfort is really something to be grateful for.
Yes,
it is,
dear Charlie . . .
I can certainly attest to that.
What was it Joni Mitchell said,
“Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” ♥
Tore down the tree paradise and put up a parking lot.
Charlie, glad your back has been good. Back problems really do come on quickly and leave slowly, and are so limiting. May your back stay strong.
My 6 1/2 yr old new right knee. I walked in an anti-trafficking consciousness raising event Friday morning. I did ok for the most part. City terrain of busted sidewalks was hard on it. Friday night my knee enjoyed receiving some healing topical balm. Restful weekend all!🌻☮️
Yes, good for you, Carla.
I hope your knee is ok.
Thank you for marching in the anti-trafficking consciousness-raising event, Carla! I was shocked to read recently of all of the cuts that the current administration has made to combating human trafficking. Here is an Op-Ed I recently read that really enlightened me about what is going on: https://www.gjsentinel.com/opinion/columns/push-back-against-anti-human-trafficking-cuts/article_a39a6110-e8d7-4491-b961-f8fdb99651d8.html
I hope that your knee gets feeling better soon ♥️
😢
I thought of the song….. My hip bone is connected to my……” One part depends on the other part. So my whole body is looking for gratitude.
🙂
My whole body is calling for gratitude. I had lost my yoga practice and exercise routine when I went full time running the restaurant and catering business with my husband a couple years ago. My body was feeling it, and when we sold our business in July 2025, I couldn’t squat down without using something to help me easily get back up. We left that life behind and started all over, and as some of you know, I finished my yoga teacher training (well, the first part) and found a great studio to call home. I practice and teach all the time and am also taking cardio strength classes at the fitness center I teach at. My body feels better. Stronger. Healthier. I can squat and stand up with no issues, and then some! So despite the changes I am dealing with being a 52-year-old woman, this beautiful body of mine deserves thanks instead of judgment.
I am grateful for my body as it is a Gift of Life. The amazing job my body and all its parts does each and every day.
I am also grateful for my job working for a Tissue Bank, as well as, having worked for a Blood Bank years ago – grateful to see and always promote organ, tissue, blood, plasma, and platelet donations.
Wishing ya’ll a peaceful weekend 🙂
Likewise dear Michele.🌈❤️