Today I am grateful for .....

 Yesterday I started a grateful-a-day post. Today I continue - and today I am grateful for early morning rises - yes, even at 5:15am on a cold winter's day. 

I have osteoporosis, was diagnosed years ago and unfortunately it's been getting worse. As part of a regular check-up and my being of a certain age, doctor had ordered a bone scan and that's where it was picked up. I was surprised - I've always exercised and my diet is pretty good, my 86 year old mum has the bones of a 20 year old - what happened? 

Them's the breaks (pardon the pun). Not wanting to resort to drugs, much to doctor's annoyance, I took my results to my PT and asked if he was able to adjust my workout. He could and he did. The first couple of subsequent scans showed a slight improvement, but as I age and despite my best efforts, the situation has not improved. It is what it is.

I'm not deterred, however, and continue to work with the bestest ever PT - Matt Fitzgerald - to try and keep things, at best, where they are. So to that end my alarm goes off every Wednesday and Friday morning at 5:15am!!!! There are times when I don't like it (really?) and times when I bounce out of bed, eager to get to the studio, ready to pump iron (not often, but it has happened LOL)

BTW - I have started to take an osteo drug. I've decided that I need to do as much as I can to help myself. I want to age well and together with my weight training sessions I feel that I am doing the right thing.

Today I am grateful for early morning rises.

Ellen's room

Today I helped to empty a room. Today I emptied drawers, threw out bits and pieces, filled bags with clothes and personal effects. Today I helped a son and a daughter pack up the room in the nursing home where their mother has lived for the past several years. Together we moved everything out and they took it home. Their mum won't be needing it anymore - yesterday she passed away into peace.

Today I touched her personal things - her reading glasses, her undies, her singlets, her nighties, her toothbrush and other toiletries. I took down photographs off the wall and untaped notes that had been left for the staff. I found little notes given to her by her great grand-daughter and other cards.

We took out all her stuff - plants, silk flowers, garden ornaments that adorned her little patio area, her TV, her bedside lamps. She loved dolls and she loved making dolls - I must have packed away about 6 of them. And wool! She loved to crochet and had produced some amazing work in her time. Her garments were always so beautifully made, she derived a lot of pleasure in making for others.

It didn't take long - after all, it was only one room. But even so - gosh, she had a lot of stuff in there. And why not? It had been her place, her space. And all the while as I was helping to empty her room I felt her presence, her energy, standing by, calmly watching, totally ok with what was happening.

Who was this lady who had allowed me into her space, who'd left us so peacefully the previous day with dignity, surrounded by the love of her family. It was Ellen, lovely sweet Ellen - mum to Di, Rob, Helen, Sue and Pete; Nanna to their children and great Nanna Ellen to their grandchildren.

Today I helped a son and a daughter tenderly gather up their mum's "stuff" to take home - some of it will be kept, some passed on to other family members and some of it will be given away. And each one of those items, whatever it may be, will contain a breath of her energy. She will always be with us.

Rest in peace lovely sweet Ellen.