Let’s Go Walking! Join me for a virtual walking support group

Balance is progressive. We all have our off days. & that's all right. No one be on go all the time. It doesn't mean we a loser, or we have to start over. Start from where your last step was no matter when it was taken. Don't carry the wasted weight of guilt & demand you climb Mount Everest as well. We need to be kind to ourselves, forgiving. Sometimes we're able to get back up on our own & step out again. But sometimes, we just can't. Maybe you just feel lousy. Maybe it's a memory day that you need to give yourself time to get through. Maybe you ate cheesecake ice cream & feel like a failure. Whatever it may be, we don't need help beating ourselves up. Life's events do that enough as it is, & there's far too many ads that want us to self judge that we are good enough for whatever reason they are selling. I'm not saying it is easy to get up or making light of a person's down time. I have plenty of my own. I don't like them either. & sometimes I just get plain ole stuck. We all do. I'm saying it's all right. I'm saying that to myself, I'm saying that to each of us. It's hard when we get blindsided. It can take years. I know. But one day I said to myself, it's all right. I have a right to be tired, to have heartache, to be tired of meds. It's all right to say no. Then one day I bought a composition book & pen in my daughter's favorite color purple, & rather than a diary of downs, I started writing about any positive thing I saw. Children laughing, my service dog's smile as she ran, a houseplant bloom, hearing an oldie song from a truck next to me at a red light, a squirrel, hearing an owl in the dark, seeing a young soldier & an old VET..there is so much heart lifting things around us. We've just been trained to see the negatives easier. We can unlearn that. Look, listen for just one thing that touches your heart. A memory that causes you to smile, that bluejay while you were walking, the cool colors of your sneakers, your breath, reaching a stop sign, they are endless out there. How many treasures can you find just today? Before you realize it, you'll be looking & listening without thinking about it. What did you hear that made you smile today? How many times did you see your favorite color? Try smiling at a stranger in a store. Your smile may have reached them just when they needed it. Now you're someone else's heart lifting memory.

Thanks for the warm welcome and so glad I haven’t missed the boat.

I’m starting the 12 week walking program tomorrow, despite the weather. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I’m in the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains in beautiful southern New Mexico and it’s currently raining. I don’t remember ever experiencing rain here before. It will probably be beautiful sunny and warm tomorrow. My friends back in Anchorage Alaska, where we are based (snowbirds since 2021), have complained of unprecedented cold for this time of year and lots of snow. Very grateful we aren’t shoveling the driveway this year. A little bit of rain is a small price to pay.

Best wishes. Julie-Ann 😊

@alive -- I loved my standard poodle -- best dog ever!!! Sooo smart and sweet! A real Lassie type dog. Like your sister, I am the world's biggest animal lover and allergic to all things furry except hypoallergenic dogs thankfully! It's heartbreaking -- look but don't touch. For those allergic, there are quite a few dog breeds that are hypoallergenic. I've had three poodles and two schnauzers and I did fine with all of them - all non-shedding. Can't be around shedding dogs. My cat and horse allergies are the worst. Can't get near them. I hope all you allergic animal lovers can find a hypoallergenic dog to love! Purebred is best for you so no hidden dander issues.

I agree! Standard poodles are the best!!! My best dog ever! I later had two 25 pound poodles (standard/miniature mix) and they were really healthy, but both very quirky. I would only get a standard again. They would make a great service dog. So smart and attentive.

I just lost my last dog (walking buddy) right after Christmas. She was a 25 pound poodle and just two weeks shy of her 18th birthday. Everyone loved her poodle prance and bounce. I really miss having a dog to walk. It's just not the same without one. That's 3 dogs I've lost in 3 years, but the other two were 16 so they all lived good long lives. I miss my miniature schnauzer the most. She wasn't good on the leash, but my favorite in the house. She was the sweetest, funniest, cuddlebug. She followed me around all day to help with whatever I was doing. Personality plus! For Christmas, my son had a replica stuffed animal made to look like her and it fools so many visitors. Sometimes I set it in the middle of the room before a visitor comes and it takes them awhile to figure out it's not moving. It even stopped my poodle in her tracks when she saw it. Checked it out every day for a couple weeks just to be sure. It's pretty funny.

@californiazebra
How about some ducks?

I’m curious about your username. Would you mind explaining its meaning?

Jake

Hi Jake! Sure I'll explain. California because that's where I live. Zebra is because people with rare disorders are considered zebras. I'm sure we have lots on this message board. The zebra has become the official symbol of rare disorders in the US. There are nearly 7,000 rare diseases. I have a few rare disorders:

1. Lung NETs (neuroendocrine cancer) - the cancer ribbon for this is even black and white zebra stripes
2. DIPNECH (only a couple hundred documented cases although they believe is it underdiagnosed)
3. Hereditary Neuropathy with Pressure Palsies (HNPP)

I also have the BRCA2 and CHEK2 genetic mutations that led to breast cancer. Although breast cancer is common, the mutations less so. I've always had a lot of unusual disorders that throw doctors for a loop. I like to think I'm special. 🙂

The zebra is a lovely symbol that is beautiful and brings joy! I like it! Thanks for asking. 🙂

Will the real Skittles please stand up! The real Skittles (love of my life) is on the left. On the right is a stuffed animal my son had made for me for Christmas after Skittles (16) passed and I missed her so much. No, it's not taxidermy, but it sure looks real! 20 pound mini-schnauzer. The real Skittles had long dark eyelashes. They missed that feature.

I love my walking and walked 11 miles this weekend. I just love it.

I became a walker during the pandemic. I lost my mother to COVID and began walking shortly after that. Also, had a tumor removed and a year later, and then in 2022, I was diagnosed with kidney cancer.

I cannot say how much walking has been good for me. It has become a mental health and spiritual practice!

Cindy

@cindysummit. Wow, I love your response! That’s how I feel, too. When we first started this group, we had lots of people walking but I guess things just got in the way. I think we need to get moving again! Are you with me?