Resiliency....

I like that word. I like the idea of being resilient, of being able to recover from life's disappointments and move on.

Not impervious, resilient. I feel the pain; my psyche is punctured. But it is not fatal. I recover. Wounds heal.

I am resilient.

I never, in a million years, would have thought my career would end before I was ready to end it. And I truly don't know if that is the case. As the old cliché promises: only time will tell. Time and patience.

Currently, I am working but I am not seeing patients. The bending, lifting, reaching and twisting wreaks havoc on my back. I cannot see them in person, but we can talk on the phone. And that is just what I have been doing this weekend, in the office. Reassurance, emotional support, instructions about medications, etc. I can do those things. I can help a little, if not a lot.

And I can go on. Life still happens, even if I am not at 100%.

So, I will leave in a few days, on a long-planned trip. With a few modifications, the trip is still a “go.” For 19 days, I will suspend my concerns about my career options. I will take off for parts unknown, see some of the beautiful places in this great country of ours, and learn some history.

From the high desert, to the Badlands, across the prairie and beyond, I will revel in the changing seasons across the land. From football games, geysers, and majestic mountains, to the Land of Lincoln, I will see, and learn, and enjoy.

I will be resilient.