Hello dear glorious global family! Greetings from Schuyler and Mama Mer!
I sit here savoring this magnificent fall afternoon as I stare out the beautiful sun-filled window of my office on the second floor. Our neighborhood is aflurry with the chirps of the latest baby duck generation. A few streets down, literally an entire herd of peacocks stroll leisurely through the neighborhood entertaining themselves the way families of peacocks seem to enjoy doing.
It has been a while since I stole away from the whirlwind to share an update on Schuyler so I decided that today would be THE day.
This chapter of the process is definitely about keeping the faith and being encouraged by even tiny doses of progress.
It’s amazing to see the amount of devastation that a boulder can do and yet, even more amazing is our ability as human beings to adjust and rebuild even in the midst of crisis and change.
This journey demands that we master the art of declaring our happiness regardless of the circumstances. It encourages us to be totally present and to focus our hearts consistently in the direction of gratitude.
At times, it asks that we wrap ourselves entirely in the “i’m Possible”. There is no place for fear or worry or sorrow or doubt. There is only room for growth, positivity and awe-filled wonder.
And of course love.
This is not a sprint nor is it even a marathon. None of us really know when we will reach the finish line or what that finish line will really look like.
For now, we adapt. We laugh. We press on and we dream.
We continue to wait (and hope for) a breakthrough with Schuyler’s balance so one of the biggest challenges for her is to feel like she can see her own progress.
Many days are tremendously encouraging. Other days are inexplicably “off”. It’s all part of trusting the process.
And repeating the steps again tomorrow. “Practice makes progress.”
And practice she does!
Schuyler works on finding her balance while standing in the walker, the metal handles clinched firmly in her hands. I stand behind her, heart pounding. I suppose that I am more used to this now and yet the maternal nerves remain on red alert. Spotting her in the moment when I release my hands from the gait belt and trusting that she will not fall is quite the adrenaline rush.
She will waver. And my heart jumps. She will suddenly tense and the walker will wobble. I flinch but resist grabbing her. She continues her count to 60. I can’t help but wonder if I’m getting my own version of cardio in the process.
Three or four times daily, we practice walking with the gait belt and walker. Our goal is to increase her stamina and to keep pushing for the day when her balance kicks in.
We still try to squeeze in time at the pool. Getting into the pool is quite a nail biter— even for our neighbors — who seem to hold their breath through this sometimes rickety process. Schuy embraces me, then lowers into a kneel then into a sit and wrestles her legs onto the top step of the pool. I must say though that we are getting better at this. I no longer feel quite so worried about one of us (or both of us) catapulting into the pool!
Once in the pool, Schuy and I practice shifting and then ultimately walking with just the gait belt and me spotting. It is SO exciting! Glorious!! Yes, she still wobbles and wavers but it wasn’t so long ago when it took both Amalita and me to keep her (and us) from toppling. Go Schuyler!!
And she has made such huge strides with her ability to relax and eat on her own! These days, Schuy can eat virtually everything except for salads and sandwiches by herself. She has actually taken a few solo trips just with friends for brunch or for Thai food.
She has become a vegan — in spite of her love for sushi.
She is a master of FaceTime conversations and in spite of the double vision, she absolutely devours book after book.
We have discovered a phenomenal caregiver so I’m getting more chunks of time to refocus on my businesses. I can even confidently head to a speaking event without Schuy and know that she will be magnificently cared for.
Our angel caregiver supplemented by our amazing friends and family hold down the fort tremendously while I’m gone.
I miss the total hands-on with Schuyler and yet to hear the two of them laughing and joking as I work upstairs is magical!
Our angel even manages to do things that I would not be able to do since I do have to run my businesses. Wink! She and Schuyler have become regulars at the local movie theaters and Schuy often comes up with creative adventures for them to do at some point in the week.
She makes a lot of what I do during the day possible. We are so, so blessed!
For those of you who haven’t heard Schuy speak, Schuyler voice rivals the cutest sound from any Pixar movie — although I do have to remind her to enunciate on a regular basis. (Could it simply be my hearing, wink?)
And her memory! I joke that she is more reliable than my Australian male version of Siri. It’s incredible! Take that, Mr. Boulder!
It’s incredible that probably the least impacted part of her body (barring the motor control) is her brain. Truly amazing!
We just completed a 30 day Brain Quest from Mindvalley (Jim Kwik) and it’s all that I can do to keep up with her! We’ve been learning how to memorize everything from names to the periodic table — oh my! Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium — yep, our minds are getting “super wired”. It’s part of our morning ritual every day, along with her floor exercises and of course meditation.
And finally, Schuy’s sense of humor and joy is unparalleled. She is literally never angry or sad. It is almost as if one of the gifts of the boulder was to obliterate the compartment where our “negative” emotions are stored.
It’s incredible. She is truly living in her own moment, smiling and soaking life in — which of course also feeds into my own massive silly streak.
Yes, I am prone to acting ridiculous, making corny jokes and dancing like a crazy person. With Schuy so eager to laugh, we make quite the team. I mean, if someone is NEVER in a “bad” mood, how can I not dive in and play?
Our only limitation to living is the limit that we would create ourselves so we find a way to truly live regardless of the challenges.
My dear, dear global family! At times, we may find ourselves in situations where we feel alone and abandoned. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Today, revel in the evidence that surrounds you that each and every one of us are powerful components in the entire process of Life. Every breath embellishes the flow on this magnificent planet.
We are as connected to the sky, the trees, the waves and the creatures that surround us as the cells within our body are part of our physical being.
We are here on our own incredible journey to create new stories that add to Life’s greatness. Life is stronger than we imagine. Our inner flame is stronger than we can ever imagine.
It is up to us to “masterpiece” that story or to put the book down when a chapter displeases us. Every aspect of our life has the potential to be brilliant and expanding.
Every whoop, every stumble, every diamond, every splash in the face — all of it holds tremendous potential. All of it promises to gift us the clarity of vision to see the beauty that lies uniquely within us all.
Today, dive deeply into exploring who you are — and even more powerfully who you wish to be. Live the seeds of your legacy today, in this moment, in this thought, in this breath.
See the glory in the tapestry of the unpredictable. You are a powerful being and there will never be another like you along this journey.
Dance, celebrate, laugh and get silly — and know that Schuyler and I are somewhere in this moment doing the same. Loving life. Loving this planet. Loving this moment and embracing every aspect of this wacky, wonderful ride that God Universe has given us the opportunity to share.
#schuyisthelimit And yes, sometimes the limit IS just the beginning!
xoxo
Meridith (and Schuy)
Catch the full story in Meridith’s bestselling book on Amazon THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
Originally published at meridithalexander.com