You Have the Rest of your Life to Live

Leave a comment July 28, 2015 drworobec

I have had this poster plastered to the side of my filing cabinet in my home office for a very long time:

101 Ways to Cope With Stress-1

It was given to me by a teacher in high school, in the midst of my grade 12 year, when the pressure of University-entrance GPAs was at an all-time high. I think that teacher could see then what I couldn’t; that everything comes down to one step at a time. I’ve never been great at seeing the forest for the trees, and my emotions overwhelm me regularly. When I was a teen, I was still figuring out how to deal with this part of myself. As an adult, I’ve tried to embrace the passion in my personality and harness my energy effectively. I now call it ambition (if you talk to my husband, he may chose a different word to label this trait of mine).

I’m currently in the midst of a stressful time in life; we’re moving to a different neighborhood and there’s all of the logistics and ups-and-downs that comes with that transition. As I was doing some paperwork last night, I glanced to this poster and the phrase that stood out was “look at challenges differently.” I see a different phrase every time I look, but “look at challenges differently” seemed perfectly timed for my current situation. Good advice, great coincidence, perfect reassurance.

This poster has been hung on my University dorm room wall, shipped to Toronto in my move-across-the-country trunk, tacked above my desk as I prepped for my chiropractic licensing exams, and now taped to my filing cabinet and moved to three different houses. It’s approaching 20 years old, is dog-eared and sun-faded, and it’s one of my most prized possessions.

It reminds me of where I’ve been. It gives me clarity of where I’m at. It gives me hope for where I’m going.

My favorite part is the last line: “you have the rest of your life to live.”

I’m excited for the sport

Leave a comment July 20, 2015 drworobec

“What should I blog about this week?” I asked my husband. He’s my editor, my second opinion, my sounding board. He’s got a BA in English and can spell any word you throw at him. We disagree on my use of short sentences, the redundancy of my verbage, and my overuse of adjectives. But. I. Love. Short. Sentences.

“The Pan Am Games,” he answered, “you haven’t shut your pie hole about it all week.” Okay then. Apparently I’ve made my excitement known.

I bought our Pan Am tickets way back in December, as the heart of Winter approached and the sun of July seemed to be in the far-off future. Well, here we are. TO2015 has descended upon Southern Ontario and the buzz is in full swing. My Facebook feed is bombarded with pictures of friends at events, Pan Am highlights are on our TV every night, and Pan Ams are my main conversation topic with patients these days. Add to that, the fact that I got to run with the Pan Am flame in June (the torch is now proudly displayed at Burlington Sports & Spine Clinic and has been a frequent photo op for passerby), and life is #panamazing.

I’m excited for the crowds and the noise and the sun and the cheers. I’m excited for the patriotism and the wave and the ‘Oh Canada’ and the photo ops. I’m excited for the fitness and the competitors and the athleticism and the impressions on my kids.

This afternoon we are watching the Women’s bronze medal and gold medal Beach Volleyball matches at Pan Am Park; Team Canada is battling for the bronze. On Thursday, we’re heading to York University to take in the morning session of track & field.

I’m excited for the sport.

Go Canada Go.

What they Wish they Would’ve Done…

2 Comments July 14, 2015 drworobec

Before she retired, my mother-in-law worked as a palliative care nurse for many years. If you met her, you would agree that if ever there was such a person fit for that job, it would be her. Her compassion and empathy overflows her being- she is a gentle soul with a huge heart and more generosity than you can imagine. And as a palliative care nurse, aside from the physical rigours of nursing, a large part of her job was listening. Listening to memories and reflections, listening to hopes and dreams for those left behind, listening to family’s last tears and patient’s last words.

She has told me many times over the years that when people are in their final stages of life, they talk a lot about what they wish they would’ve done. Regrets over things left unsaid, hopes left unfulfilled, and dreams left unchased.

What they wish they would’ve done…

That phrase has crossed my mind many times over the past number of years. And as my life grows and my responsibilities expand, the number of big decisions that I’m faced with also increases. With each one of these decisions, I turn to this phrase for guidance. I’m not a dreamer, I’m not an escapist; I’m pragmatic and realistic and practical. But this phrase helps me to see the big picture. When my emotions take hold and my sensitive nature floods in and overwhelms me, it helps me to step back, to see the forest through the trees, to think long-term.

I’m in the middle of one such decision right now. We are moving. Not far, still within Burlington, but to a different neighborhood that I’ve been eyeing for years. We only made the commitment to go for it, I mean really go for it, a couple of weeks ago, although we’ve been talking about this for a very long time. There have been pro lists and con lists and spreadsheets and soul-searching. Lots of tears, lots of conversation, lots of back and forth, lots of tears (again). But it always comes back to what they wish they would’ve done. I know that I will regret not doing this; and so it has come to be. The dream is being chased.

Right now, the burdens are heavy and the emotional toll is large. But this is the right decision for us, even though it’s hard at the moment. And terrifying. I’m trying to heed my own advice:

chase them