Aslan Is On The Move - Signs of Spring

As a poet, I love metaphors! The current political climate is reminiscent of the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia. As I watch the thawing of the Reservoir during our runs, I was inspired to remember "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." I even heard the ice crack the other day.

 

On Saturday, there was a stiff headwind coming off the Reservoir. Tom and I opted to do an out and back on Beacon Street. Despite the felt like 13 degree temperatures and the strong headwind, seeing flowing water on parts of the Reservoir, filled my heart with hope and gratitude. Aslan is on the move; Spring is coming!

 

The felt like single digit temperatures, navigating around snow and ice have made getting outside to do our miles challenging. During the pandemic, we had no choice and so we harnessed our strength, donned layers and honed in on mental toughness feeling particularly bada**.  Tom and I talked about "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" recalling how good prevailed and Spring returned to Narnia.

 

Eighteen years ago, I was literally and figuratively in the winter of my life. I'd been diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease and told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I should expect an accelerated decline as I aged and might very well need a feeding tube and a sleep apnea machine at night. Based on how other polio survivors aged, Western Medicine believed that the damage from the initial polio virus was permanent and irreversible. The power of the mind/body connection and neuroplasticity were not factored into the prognosis equation.

 

When I say that every step is a gift and every mile is a blessing, whatever the weather may be, I know how fortunate I am to have asked for Divine Guidance in February of 2007. I discovered the gift of poetry in my soul that unleashed my imagination using visualization to create a future very different than the one Western Medicine predicted for me.

 

Before the awakening that happened after the diagnosis, I did not have this deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for the miracle of my life nor the world around me. While there is much happening in Washington and as such the world that is so distressing, I believe that this Winter will turn into Spring; that there are mighty forces at work both great and small, seen and unseen. Justice, truth and light will ultimately prevail. My optimism was born within me after I contracted paralytic polio. Although my mother was addicted to prescription drugs and unable to care for me and I had to wait for my dad and grandfather to attend to my basic needs, I felt and saw a spiritual presence. Although there was no hand and I lay paralyzed from the neck down, I was invited to step into a well bucket. I left my body and met this Being. I chose to return to my body knowing that somehow some way I would make it through. Through all of my challenges throughout my life, and all the challenging circumstances I have lived through such as the 2020 pandemic, I have carried that belief deep within me in my heart and soul.

 

The Universe speaks to me through various channels to continue to fuel optimism and hope. This morning, The Optimism Institute posted this quote:

You can fuel your optimism by subscribing to The Optimism Institute's Blue Sky podcast.

 

And what better way to fuel optimism than with signs of Spring knowing that Aslan is on the move!

 

The Rezzie on Monday morning's run:

From my heart to yours

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my website to learn how poetry, optimism, gratitude and the mind/body connection helped me to transform my life. After having been told in December 2006 that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I went on to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and have many adventures as runnergirl 1953. Be sure to visit the recently updated News and Events Page for links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story.

My books are available on Bookshop that share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary. Be sure to visit my Author Page on Amazon   My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is receiving rave reviews and is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club.