My hope for this article is to not only share my experience from this past weekend but to encourage others as well. I have recently gone through some tough medical complications and have had to take some tough news. I pulled a muscle in my lower back and have been in pain for about three weeks now. After two doctors’ visits along with x-rays and a visit to a back specialist, I was absolutely crushed to hear that I needed to take a step back from dance until I had started and completed physical therapy. I have danced for most of my life, going on thirteen years of dancing my heart out, this was incredibly heard news to swallow. As I walked out of the orthopedics office, I called my mom crying my eyes out at the news of needing to take a step back knowing I have two performances in less than three weeks.
I was at a cross roads of making a tough decision of either following the doctors instructions or doing what I love and dealing with the consequences. In all honesty 95% of me wanted to just perform anyways and deal with the consequences later on. After a day full of crying and going back and forth in my head of what to do, I made a final decision to take a step back and focus on healing and strengthening my body.
This past weekend I went away with a group of students from school on a retreat to a beautiful cabin overlooking a lake in New Hampshire. On the second day (Saturday) we normally go for a hike on Mount Major and I had to miss this part of the trip last year so I was determined to go this year. My restrictions were to walking and limiting intense activities, so I met another tough decision of staying back at the cabin or to set out and attempt the climb. I am so very thankful for the group that took on the time of fellowship and their patience with my attempt of reaching the top.
The climb led to an amazing time of conversation and laughs and just an incredible time of bonding. One person in particular that I am so grateful for stayed at a slow pace with me and kept me in check as we went up. I have never hiked before never mind made it to the top of a mountain. Hannah encouraged me and helped me relax and overcome a task that would seem to be uncomfortable and difficult in my current physical state, and I can say that I experienced very little to no pain at all on the hike. I told her at the very bottom of the mountain what type of terrain caused pain and that I was determined to reach the top. Hannah said okay and she stuck with me all the way to the top. A weekend that I would expect to be upset and discouraged with tough news, helped me change my perspective that I can make it up a huge obstacle both physically and emotionally with being told no. I am okay with needing a break and focusing on healing. Also, just in case my mom is reading this, I have been watching my back and making sure that I am keeping in check with how I feel. I am not in much pain at all the day following this climb and I am so proud that I made it.
My hope for you is that you look at circumstances in a new way. In an area where you are told no or where you are restricted, find another way to push through and overcome. I don’t think I’ll go out and hike a mountain every day to get through not being able to dance, but I know I am not restricted to sitting around and lying in bed all day. I can do things I put my mind to and so can you!