Kindness is community
I’m sitting here for National Stroke Week - it’s Friday and from what I see people have been spreading the word about how to recognise stroke like symptoms by learning about the F.A.S.T. signs.
I’d like to share what’s happened this week to improve my life - even nearly 30 years after my stroke! I remember being looked at by therapists in hospital and rehab like I was a specimen and then them turning away to make notes, to report what was the effect from my stroke in the way needed according to their professional perspective.
So over the last week as I have been adjusting to some long-awaited arch supports I’ve noticed the following.
My left hip immediately propped itself up to match my right - I don’t know to what degree or anything. But I felt the adjustment immediately within the first 100 meters of walking in my new shoes with the arch supports in.
I felt my hips move slightly forward and my upper body lean slightly back as I moved throughout the first day with my arch supports in. I was standing straighter.
This slight adjustment then led to feeling more flow (of blood or something) throughout my legs and when I went to my RPM class at the gym that evening, I absolutely went for it. Exhausting myself or as my RPM instructor calls it “Emptying the tank!” So by the end of the class, I was empty and spent the cool-down track crying at the recognition of how something so relatively simple had made such a difference within the first 24 hours of use.
The arch supports are able to be placed into other shoes! So I’m sitting here with my very snuggly warm boots on and my arch supports in and the difference I notice here is that I feel like sitting up straight and not slouching. It’s actually easier to sit up straight, and this morning in my Body Pump class at the gym as I was lifting up a weighted bar for the first time in the warm-up. I felt my back right hip go click, click, click - no pain involved, and I just noticed throughout the whole class so many changes in my posture as I moved through the tracks. I FOUND THIS SO EXCITING!
My reason for sharing is that I am involved in so many areas it seems where people need to be are trying to use their NDIS plans in ways that meet their specific needs. And the process for that to happen is difficult! It was a bit of a wait from my initial appointment where impressions of my foot arches were taken to actually receiving the goods, - but I am going to shout from the rooftop about the immediate positive impact.
Kindness is contagious - so I rang up the service which provided me with the goods to let them know the great result!
WHAT IS?
Wondering
What is kindness?
It’s not impatience, belittling, rudeness
It’ not assuming or sarcasm
Kindness is a seed of hope that no matter what went on in the day
There was a connection of being seen
Or seeing someone
Kindness is like fallen petals from a forever blooming sweet scented flower
Kindness feels like that for me
What does kindness feel like for you?
An absence of kindness in my life, felt like a void, a black hole
Finding kindness fills that space
It’s a communal healing
Kindness is community :-)
The above photo is taken on a foggy morning in my community - I love the misty anticipation of getting out and about early. It’s a peaceful time.
Sue 12.8.2022