Hope Remains

Have you ever lost your passion for an activity then rediscovered it? What a wonderful feeling. For me, it is my love of the outdoors and outdoor activities. With the young kids and my career, many times my desire to participate in outdoor endeavors such as skiing, cycling, or kayaking was always postponed ‘until another day’.  Soon, even my equipment became outdated or dare I say, old. Then came COVID. I was taken down by the virus and for weeks, I suffered thinking every difficult breath was my last. I pondered every detail of my life as I battled the sickness. When I knew I was turning the corner, and getting better, all I wanted to do was put COVID in the rear view mirror. When I was released from the hospital, I wanted to go on long walks with my family, but I could only muster a shuffle across the room. With every day, I worked to build back my strength yet my hope of participating in cardiovascular activities was limited.  I wanted to run, yet I could barely walk across the street without getting winded. Hope remained. Today, I still want to run, however, I have only built my cardio fitness to a point that I can vigorously walk.  The more I try to press it, the scar tissue in my lungs that was a gift of COVID gives me a vehement ‘NO’.  It doesn’t change my desire to involve myself in outdoor activities, which was a promise I made to myself in the ‘dark days’. I walk every morning and each day, jog a bit more. Hope is not my only strategy. Every weekend, I find something to do with my family that is outdoors, pending the weather, and this is the perfect time of year. As I build my cardiovascular strength, I build back the equipment that is needed to participate. I want to run, and someday I will, but until then, I will walk. With every step, COVID is under my shoe, and I am stomping on it. COVID took so much from all of us, but I will not let it take anymore from me. I am done. Have a wonderful weekend. Go BEARS!…RiseUP! (cue "Never Surrender” — Corey Hart). 

Until next time...