I have 2 PSA t-shirts in my wardrobe - a black one that’s says PSA SUCKS for my bad days (a NOT so subtle hint for those around me), and a grey one that’s states “I have PSA, it doesn’t have me”. I had been utilizing the black one more. We all know how this disease can start to wear you down, how it REMINDS you that it is there. All I wanted was a time out.
So, when the opportunity arose to attend a baby shower (more details at the end) for a dear friend of mine back home - I decided to leave everyone behind, get on a plane, and go. First time in my life I went on a pleasure trip by myself. No partner, no kids, not for business, nor a sick relative - just for me. I decided to add a few days and kill 2 birds with one stone and visit my best friend, who lives a few miles outside of the city in a beautiful mountainous area. If you have never been to Florida we have a few mountains - we call then landfills. I forgot how much I missed the mountains.
I decided to hike by myself on a day my friend had some work to do. We joked that I would send her my GPS location to pick me up when my joints gave out. So I put on my GREY shirt and took off. The weather was beautiful, and the landscape serene. Just what I needed - a “reboot” of my life. As I kept going, in my mind I was calculating could I make it back if I went much further? I rolled the dice an kept on.
When I returned (finally) I was tired, dirty, in pain and INVIGORATED. I could barely walk for days, and took painkillers to sleep. But I would have done it again and twice on Sunday if given the chance. Simply because I DID DO IT, and I lived the motto on my t-shirt.
My pregnant friend (whom I surprised with my visit) couldn’t figure out why I would put myself through that. I explained she was my new inspiration. You see, she is going to be a first time mother. She is 45 and pregnant. With TWINS. I explained that no matter how much it hurt, I said to myself, “at least I won’t be 50 when my kids start kindergarten.”