I have noticed a change come over me in the last year. Almost exactly a year. Yes, the two hip surgeries in 2023 made 2024 tough as they didn’t fix anything. Then the replacement of my hip Dec 30, 2024 totally changed that issue. I’m still healing. What I noticed is a change in my process. My anxiety has gone way down. I might be sleeping weird due to my desire to sleep on my side and my new hip saying “no, back only”. However, I’m getting some sleep and when I wake up, I have things to do! No more dragging @$$ out of bed. I even switched from coffee to tea in the morning! I still enjoy a cup of good coffee but I find that hot tea with some local honey just has my energy up.
My whole approach to life has changed. I don’t mind doing the dishes, laundry or even vacuuming. That is now something I do daily. I still hate to dust but I’m sure I will get there. I make my bed! What has come over me?
Another thing I’m noticing is I’m enjoying things again. I smile a lot more! Watching my kid do his thing (today was track) made me so happy! He did great in the high jump and got second in hurdles and 4x4 relay! He hs back in baseball for the season as well! Heck, it doesn’t even bother me when I end up transporting 2-3 extra kids after practice.
I’m also finding new things to do with the four legged kids. Duke and I joined up with a local disc group (frisbee) and we will start back with Dock Diving soon! I have been taking extra time with Duke. He goes to physical therapy with me. He feeds horses with me. We play a game of fetch daily now! Amazing how much more responsive he is to me when we spend one on one time together! I look forward to seeing what we can do this year! I can’t wait to let him try out fast cat! With my new disc group, I’m making dog friends! It’s so nice! They don’t judge me. Pretty laid back and all the dogs get a big play session before we do anything else!
My thoughts with my horses have shifted. No need for speed. I’m down for easy rides. I have ridden Lynx once since my replacement (don’t tell the doctor) and it wasn’t bad! Of course I’m trying to pace myself so I don’t mess anything up. My knee is so angry that my hip is now where it needs to be. But it’s ok! I’m not even worried about it! If it hurts, I don’t do it. Simple!
I’m sure that soon I will make a friend whom wants to do the dog stuff too and I will get to go on adventures again! My hip isn’t ready so I’m sure it’s all in God’s timing!
I think that is what has changed. I stopped stressing over other people’s opinions on what I do or how I do it and started learning again. I opened myself back up to learning. God has always been a huge part of my heart and soul. But, being in a state of “what will they say about me” really impacted my thoughts. Now that I have found myself again, I’m totally looking forward to finding out all the things I can do now! Duke and I will be playing in dog sports! Bob, Lynx and Whiskey will eventually get to go play with cows! Maybe some trail riding in the fall! I will be making more time to spend watching my kid play ALL the sports!
The moral of this story is, stop letting those intrusive thoughts control your life. Give yourself a chance to learn new things. Be open to new opportunities! You never know what God is working on in your life!
