Yet. This word became my turning point. Yet. This word began to change my attitude. Yet. This word was my mantra of hope. Yet. This word helped me see an end to my current situation. Yet. With this word, I began coming back into life. Yet.
In August 2010, when I first met my physical therapist, Lorraine, she saw through my fake smile and knew that I was really in trouble. Pain had run my life for 3 years at that point (now almost 4), and it was in far more control that I like to admit. Over the course of dozens of doctors and treatment, with no relief in sight, I was giving up. I was trying a new thing, one more time, one more attempt at doing something about this pain. I didn't really think that anything would work, but I didn't want to stop trying.
Early on, I discovered that Lorraine is much more than a physical therapist. She is also psycologist, teacher, counselor, spiritual encourager, and cheerleader. She talks a million words per minute, and most of them are funny and uplifting. She began to teach me new phrases to say and think. The most important one was yet. I would say, "I can't walk around the neighborhood anymore." She would correct, "You can't walk around the neighborhood yet." I would say "I can't work." She would say, "You can't work yet." I would say, "I can't exercise." She would correct, "You can't exercise yet." Pretty soon, my own talk was littered with yet and it's corollaries right now and not forever and maybe tomorrow. For instance, "I'm really hurting right now. But not forever." Or, "I'm depressed right now. But maybe tomorrow I'll be better." Or, "I wish I could go to lunch. But I can't yet, maybe tomorrow." You see how the new combinations change the tone of my thinking.
Where can you plug in the magic word yet? I can't stand on my right leg yet. I can't leave the house yet. I can't be as social as I want to be yet. I can't exercise much yet. I can't lose weight yet. Remember that your situation is only for right now, and not forever. I hope that maybe tomorrow will be better for us all...
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