Listened to a speaker share the idea of one lady facing massive health problems.  She created a Can-Can list….I can breathe, I can smile, I can…….

You get the drift.  Too often with PTSD, long term health problems, or disabilities we sometimes focus so much on what we can’t do we neglect to open ourselves up to what we CAN do.  Occasionally that list is dishearteningly short, however, as one fights back and works at improving circumstances the list CAN grow.  I remember watching The Other Side of the Mountain when I was in college.  The scene that stood out in my mind was after she was in rehab she called her boy friend all excited about what she could do.  He bought new ski boots and came to the hospital.  She excitedly showed him that she could pick up a potato chip and put it in her mouth herself.  Yea….didn’t quite match what he thought she meant.  Sometimes those closest to us inadvertently are the ones that cause the most grief when they don’t grasp what struggles we are trying to overcome.  Their expectations exceed our can-do list.  Their disappointment becomes our disappointment and too easy to get discourage.  I believe this is why it is extra difficult for family and friends to be around me when I am struggling.  I need someone willing to set aside their own expectations and meet me where I am, not where they want me to be.  Sometimes the person most frustrated with me is me.  Sometimes I need to give myself an attitude adjustment and give myself room for set backs.  Besides one step forward and one back is a cha-cha.  Dancing through life is about my attitude not my aptitude.

Note: After her rehabilitation, she went on to graduate from UCLA with a B.A. in German^[6] and earned a teaching credential from the University of Washington in Seattle. She had a long career as an educator, first in Washington and then in Beverly Hills, California. She taught special education at Bishop Union Elementary School from 1975 to 1996 in her hometown of Bishop. She was an accomplished painter who had many exhibitions of her artwork.  Thanks Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Kinmont_Boothe