Rest & Relaxation: April in Retrospect

This past month, my health issues flared up a fair amount and, so, I’ve made true self-care my priority. I spent approximately 50% of April sleeping and, first the first time, I no longer have the energy to fight the fatigue. April was a month of accepting where I am and tackling only things within my control. This manifested as early bedtimes, as well as saying “no” to evening walks and cooking dinner when I was simply too tired. Every day, I welcomed meditation, leisure reading, laughter and healing. After years of moving at a breakneck pace, the slowing down is both a soothing salve and a disconcerting mess. I keep reminding myself that I don’t need to “play catch up,” but instead collect up all the lessons that life is currently offering me.

The summer heat is creeping in and half of my spring garden is clinging to life, yet our hearty moringa trees have proliferated. While I witnesses the passing of two young creatures this past month, I witnessed four times as many go on to thrive. The world around me is a constant reminded that we all thrive in different environments and under different circumstances.

April Wins

• Have been consistently meditating for 20-60 minutes every morning and evening, with a focus on self-healing
• Posted 14 blog posts on this little corner of the internet
• Have been walking three miles per day (most days) around a local park with my boyfriend, with the added bonus of beautiful weather and baby animals galore
• I pulled back on doctor’s visits and focused on visualizing myself as healthy and active again, and I had many good days; however, I’ve been running a fever on-and-off all month and skin lesions have returned at the soft tissue tumor sites, so I’ll probably return to the infectious disease doctor and/or oncologist in May
• My PTO was approved, so my boyfriend and I booked flights, lodging and a car rental for our upcoming 10-day trip to Seattle, Portland and the surrounding areas this summer; he’s made plans with several old friends from art school, whom I am excited to finally meet
• My boyfriend and I have been putting any $5 bills we acquire into a jar have already accumulated $765, which is going towards ten days in the Pacific Northwest this summer
• I cooked with eggplant from my parent’s garden (which I planted almost six years ago when my boyfriend shared that his favorite dish was eggplant Parmesan)
• My net worth increased by $2,341 in April due to moderate performances from my retirement accounts (and despite spending exceeding income by $440), and now totals $68,021.
• My boyfriend and I took my grandparents to a theatrical production of Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was an adorable Depression-era story; my grandparents are in their late-80s, so I cherish every minute I get to spend with them
• I talked to my sister on the phone for her birthday, which was great because we don’t always make time to do so