Come Climb with Me

I have been living.

I have been loving.

I have been playing and singing and dancing.

I have been making and serving meals for the homeless shelter.

I have been training to run a marathon.

I, for the first time in my life recognized I was burned out and pulled out of a marathon.

Returned to playing.

I bought a stand up paddle board and smoothly and silently in the very early hours of the morning make my way across the lake.

I take the dog out on morning runs.

And yesterday I went sailing.  I learned how to sail as a kid.  Lack of practice and life precluded me from going further than ballast on a boat.  On a boat I was nothing more than a passenger.  But that was then...

Today I want to be a participant.  I want to make educated choices and submerge myself (guess that's not the best choice of words when it comes to boats) in life.  I don't just want to learn to sail I want to feel what it is to sail.

I didn't just learn to climb the mountains.  I immersed myself in the mountains.  It wasn't always pretty, often I was scared and lonely. But I came to truly feel what life on a mountain is like and even now a smell or a cloud formation will bring me back to Argentina or Alaska.

I want to feel the same way about sailing.

And isn't it awesome?  The choices we have?  The ability to take on something new and totally different and try?  Like I always say, what is the worst thing that can happen?  You have to turn back?  Head for shore?  It doesn't matter - the point is you tried.

I have been busy living and trying and well, sometimes failing.  But the joy I get from trying and the hope that I can give that message to someone else just learning they have Multiple Sclerosis makes it all worthwhile.

Embrace life.  You will never be disappointed!

Climb On!

- Wendy