Intentions

I've been meaning to post for several days now.  I've got a good one (or at least I deem it as such, and I'm obviously not the most objective judge in the world) cooking itself up in my brain, astir in my soul.


Have I written about being ill?  I think I did, in my original post about prayer.  I had migraines every day this year from February 22 - June 5.  Every. Day.


Then I went on a bike trip.  On June 7 I mounted by sturdy bicycle and pedaled, one rotation at a time, to visit my sister & family in Nashville, TN.  My migraines dissipated.  This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip for the sole reason that when I sat down with my mom, who saw me through the worst of my migraines, to show her my trip pictures and we came to this one she exclaimed, "You look so healthy!"

Healthy.  Something I didn't feel for a long time, something for which I'd once given up hope.

I spent a blissful summer living delightfully slowly.  I didn't work.  I travelled when the spirit said "travel," I rested daily.  I prepared my own food with my own two hands.  I went to bed early and rose with the sun.  I read or didn't read.  I wrote.

In August I returned to work, to a job that I love and my migraines re-infested my skull.  Like the slight fluttering of angels' wings, I overheard a parent of a new student saying, "My dad used to get awful migraines and it turns out he is allergic to dairy.  He gave up dairy and he's been healthy since."

Good-bye, dairy.  I vowed to "give it a try," to avoid dairy completely for one month.  I'm not good at following rules, but I did it!  From September 1 - September 30, I didn't ingest dairy in any form.  My body felt so capable. So healthy.  I took up running.  School started and I worked 11 energetic hours daily.

It's October now.  I've eaten Macaroni & cheese and pizza and cookies.  I didn't check the ingredients in Sunday morning's bread.  I feel sick.

I can't summon the energy to create a coherent post about anything.  It's increasingly difficult to teach.  It's hard work to be healthy and annoying too.  But its a road I need to travel.

Dear Body,  teach me to listen.  Please be patient with me as I learn.