There should be a warning sticker on every computer and typewriter. If you start writing a letter, article, or blog any time after November 28, there is a banned list of phrases.
- What a year it’s been!
- Looking back on the past 12 months…
- Any reference to The Highs and the Lows or How Far We’ve Come.
Attempts to use these should trigger a violent reaction. I suggest my
creative writing professor’s response to a recent story I turned in: “If
this were my movie, as soon as this guy says that, the woman next to him
pulls out a wet mackerel and slaps him with it.”
I’ll try to avoid clichés here. All I have in my house are frozen salmon
fillets. That would hurt.
***
I woke up this morning feeling content, at peace with my life. The word
happy wasn’t my first reaction. It has been so long since I thought in
terms of that simple word. But, today was my day to start thinking about
simple declarations. Think of this as an update to my 14-part journey,
“Reconstructing and Defining Kevin.” After the most emotional year I can
recall, my focus will be the reflections and resolutions of a man in the
final days before his 50th birthday.
Yeah, I’m happy. I reread my entry back in July, “Reconstructing and Defining Kevin Part 14: Uncharted Territory,” and realized I still shape my world every day with the help of Dr.
Debbie Stoewen’s discussion on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. More than
two years have passed since I began my journey, over nine months since I
began sharing my experience. Every day, I work to improve my body’s
responses (every intentional, subconscious, and involuntary action) to
life around me. Improving my capacity to monitor, and ultimately regulate
in a positive fashion, those responses in each dimension of existence
directly impacts my wellness.
So, yes, I’m happy.
My struggle now is to understand if I can be happy, content, and at peace
with my life while still being scared to death about my future. Multiple
sclerosis continues to destroy my body — exercise, rehabilitation, diet,
and lifestyle changes only delay the inevitable physical decline I
experience. MS will chip away at me, sometimes snagging large chunks along
the way. The permanent damage from my fall this past January has left me
in significant and permanent pain. My best guess is I have 2 to 5 years
left while still living independently. One more fall could erase that
timeline. My list of ailments and issues is significant. There is no cure.
This will get worse.
Yes, I am happy. I live life to the fullest, within the constraints of my
body. By framing my life within the Eight Dimensions of Wellness, I
evaluate every intentional, subconscious, and involuntary response and
their impact on my wellness. The changes I made, and they are significant,
are not measured in terms of good or bad, better or worse. My body’s
response is the only consideration.
This effort to Reconstruct and Define Kevin is successful, but it is far
from over. My birthday/Christmas/New Year/wellness celebration is time to
take center stage and shout, “I’m Happy!” Stories will be the how’s and why’s of my declaration.
You will see two different subjects posted on my blog site:
NeverStopNeverQuit.blogspot.com.
My Journey.
Undertakings, successes, challenges, and the everyday direction of my
life, all framed within the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. I will show you
examples of how Dr. Stoewen’s article was a gateway into this concept of
wellness, “a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual
well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit”
(1). I can’t say enough about her article’s impact on my outlook today and
tomorrow. I encourage everyone to read her approach to the eight mutually
interdependent dimensions: physical, intellectual, emotional, social,
spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental (1). I will refer to
it often, but it is only the first step in an eye-opening world.
Click here to read her on the NIH website.
My Stories.
Some of the many random short stories running through my head at any given
time. A few were previously published — most will be new to my readers.
The reason I’m posting them here, for free, goes back to My Journey. I’ll
talk more about that in the future, but I just need to get somebody’s out
of my mind (and make room for more). They will be raw, unedited, and
occasionally inappropriate for all audiences. I’d love to hear your
thoughts or feedback at any time – don’t hesitate to reach out.
I will intermix the two on my blog. I don’t want to start tracking
another site. I already have enough out there.
My takeaway for you today is simple: I’m happy, grateful for everyone in
my life, and thankful for the chance to share my birthday/Christmas/New
Year/wellness celebration with you.
Until next time.
Love,
Kevin
I will never stop…
I will never quit…
This is my story
Please consider a donation to NEVER STOP NEVER QUIT.
100% of your donation will directly support our fight. We pay the cost of managing our foundation.
All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. You will receive a receipt.
References
(1) Stoewen, Debbie L. “Dimensions of wellness: Change your habits, change
your life.”
The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne,
vol. 58, no. 8, 2017, pp. 861-862.
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