To celebrate the release of my new book, Fall In Love With Life, I have invited a few friends to share their experiences and tips for falling in love with life. Today, I welcome Annelise of www.annelisesite.wordpress.com Here’s Annelise’s story:
It would be one thing to write about falling in love with someone or something. My kids, for example. These little moments happen like when they tell crazy jokes or ask funny questions. Just watching them sleep – it’s so easy to love them. Or my soft furry beagle dog. It is easy to love this Life when something really good and seemingly out of the blue happens, like an unexpected check in the mail. Those little boosts that give you an extra spring in your step, and you think Hey, maybe everything does actually work out!
But falling in love with Life. Falling in love with life when Life isn’t what you’d planned. When Life zigs while you were busy zagging. So falling in love with Life, even though Life is inherently problematic at times, is the stuff of masters. It’s why we read all these books and attend all these seminars. It’s what we’re going after when we meditate and go on retreats and buy beads, incense, angel icons and Kuan Yin statues. For to fall in love with life is to be happy. Not the jumping up and down Oh my God I won the lottery! kind of happy- not usually anyway, for most of us most of the time. But the happy that says I am at peace with it all. I am okay. I am happy to enjoy all of the stuff of life, even if not all circumstances are as I want them to be. Some people call it acceptance or surrender. To show up for it, and trust that all is well.
Earlier this month my husband was in a bike accident. It was bicycle versus car and the car won. My husband’s elbow was shattered with an injury they call ‘the terrible triad’ and then rebuilt, with a new titanium radial head and everything. Then they found staph infection in the elbow which was scary and confusing and highly inconvenient. So more surgeries, IVs, pins and braces. It could have been worse, without a doubt, but man, it could have been better. It seemed for a while that every time we were about to move forward on all of this we got blown back again. I have no perspective on this yet, I have said to my husband, but I feel like this has been life changing.
With each new grey hair on my head I have learned new skills. New skills I never knew would be required of me or ever even knew I would be capable of. I received a rapid, urgent crash course on wound care and “pin sites”, IV antibiotic treatment, and how to speak Medical. The first time the bandages were unwrapped I couldn’t even look. Now I am scanning each wound carefully at night with laser focus, checking for any sign of abnormality, making mental notes to myself on the progression. I aged a bit this summer. Life has asked this of me.
My husband Terry and I have shared some quiet, sacred moments together, some of them in fear and sadness at the extent of the injury. The long road of rehabilitation ahead. And still I count my blessings, because it is my habit. The hospital food is really not too bad. My mom has really been there for the kids. My friends have really been there for me. The kids are all right. The sun is there. The moon and also the stars. It is going to be okay. It really is okay right now. We are okay. I am okay.
My middle daughter Ingrid changed schools this year- another big deal in our household this summer. I love her courage. I celebrate her with pride. She is tremendously introverted and I know it is a huge effort for her every day, just to climb aboard her packed school bus each morning. Just to show up with all those other kids.
The least I can do is the same. Today I show up, and although I am no master of it, I show up with all you other kids. Because I am in love with Life.
Hello! My name is Annelise and I am a 42 year old mom of three living in Southwest Minneapolis, MN, USA. I run an online aromatherapy and plant based product store called AnneliseOnline.com. I like to write about spirituality, recovery, parenting and relationships on my blog. I usually write and post at least once a month. I am interested in spirituality, metaphysics, yoga (off and on!) essential oils, art and weight lifting.
