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Perfect day

Light breeze, blue skies, 20 degrees…and I’m outside for every minute of it…reading, running, gardening, on a walk with a friend…I’ll take as much of it that I can get… 

Partial cloud, crisp, cool air, crunchy leaves…and I find excuses to leave my inside work to get outside and breath it all in… 

Swirling snow, cold cheeks, bright red nose, a dark night sky…and I walk to hear the crunch of snow under my boots…the swish of my skis as they glide along the hardpacked tracks… 

Big, round, wild raindrops, the smell of earth and dirt…and I’m drawn to see what new life is springing forth, dirt under my nails and mud caked to my feet… 

aaaannnnddd…repeat… 

I love where I live; the people, the landscape, the expression of our four distinct Canadian seasons. I mean, we got to see and live in some absolutely incredible places this past year…and I suppose if I could “add” mountains to my backyard…well… 

I think I expected when we drove coast to coast, north to south across this incredible country we live in, I would have had this moment of, “Aha!! This! THIS is it! This place is perfect, and I never want to leave!” And yes, like I said we were regularly awestruck. We found people who were welcoming, places that felt comfortable, landscapes that drew us in…but none of them had it all…none.  

I was a bit disappointed, thinking the quest was for not. Then! I realized what I suppose was the true treasure of the journey…that it really is possible to be happy…let’s say content…just about anywhere…meaning that one can choose to see the beautiful, look for the lovely and engage with what comes…ah yes…that. 

I notice this way of thinking, this expecting to find or waiting for the “perfect” thing, finds its way into my everyday life too. 

Here’s what I mean… 

I prefer to go for a run when it’s not too hot, when there is partial cloud cover, a light breeze and I’ve got lots and lots of energy. 

I love biking when the skies are a clear, bright blue and the sun is shining, very little or no wind, and it can be as hot as it likes. 

My favourite weather for a walk? Cool, crisp Autumn days with the smell of leaves and dirt, and I’d walk all day. 

Where would I pick to hike? Steep climbs, low tree lines, narrow paths, razor thin ridges and I’ll journey for miles and miles. 

If your life is anything like mine, coordinating an outdoor activity when the weather is just the way it “needs” to be…would mean I wouldn’t get outside very often. If I waited for a light breeze to keep the bugs down when I garden…well…the weeds would certainly get the best of me and my veggies! 

I set a goal for myself this year, to complete 50 kms of activity every week…every. week. I was fortunate enough to start in June when the weather was turning from more unpredictable spring weather into lovely summer weather…phew! I enjoyed many warm, sunny days and evenings with little rain or storms…but then…it. got. hot. Not just hot, but capital H, HOT! Dude, it was hot. I was only able to do short runs and rides…walks were ok if I could find shaded places to go. 

This past while it’s been air quality that’s kept me from completing the longer rides and runs, I’d like to be doing. So, I’ve had to adjust. Save my outdoor activity for days when the air quality improved…or keep them short and less intense. 

Keeping up with my 50kms/week has meant a few “uncomfortable” things… 

  • Runs in the rain.  
  • Walking to and from work in the wind and rain. 
  • Taking a change of clothes to work knowing I’ll be super sweaty when I arrived. 
  • Finishing off my kms later in the evening when the sun is on its way down. 
  • Keeping a flexible “to-do” list on my days off so I can work around the weather and air quality. 

If I wait for the perfect day…I’ll never accomplish what I need or want to do. 

If I waited for a day when I had no pain, no stiffness, no fatigue…well…I wouldn’t even start, I wouldn’t even have set my 50for50 goal. 

If I waited until I felt 100% after taking my meds to eat or hydrate…I wouldn’t adequately fuel my body. 

I don’t mean to simplify or diminish just how difficult it can be to navigate all the things that come along with chronic illness…so don’t hear what I’m not saying…I’m just saying that if you’re waiting for the perfect day; time, feeling, emotion, outfit (I mean, who doesn’t want to look good?), to get going, to start, to finish, to attempt…you won’t find it…perfect doesn’t exist. 

But today does! What can you do today, with how you feel right now, in the weather that’s happening in this moment, with the pain you are experiencing, with the limitations you are currently up against?…today.  

It’s not a competition. Not with your neighbour, your friend, your coworker…or even yesterday. Today’s accomplishment is for today and for today only.  

A big gold star from me to you for setting a goal for today. For pushing through whatever imperfection you are experiencing or perceiving…I’m rooting for you!! 

If you want to follow along with me as I work toward my 50for50 goal, you can do that here: 

Carrie

person with rheumatoid arthritis