Park (and) life

Today Noah, Reuben and I did something very normal - something I had begun to take for granted in recent years. We met a friend and her little boy, and we went to the park.

In the days when I was stuck at home with M.E, before Noah was born, just popping out anywhere had to be weighed up, planned for and then paid for in a fair amount of pain. When I was healed by God, which is how I believe I recovered so suddenly and completely, I re-entered the land of the living-and-active with total enthusiasm and sheer relief. I had my life back.

So I'm not embarrassed to admit that when I found myself in the extreme pain I was in during the weeks (and eventually months) that followed Reuben's arrival - and the huge limitations that pain created - I really started to panic. I had been so enjoying not having to "pace myself" physically and I found it especially difficult to be so completely incapacitated while still needing to take care of a busy four year old and a newborn. It did highlight all over again how much better I had been for over four years.

Anyway, you know the story, I don't need to go on about the pain. It hurt, it has been tough, we've struggled. However, as I always knew, God is so good, He has been getting us through, and things are looking up. It may be taking longer than we had expected and it may still hurt but i have finally reached a point where I can work around the discomfort. I'm finding new, sometimes creative, ways to do things that involve lifting and we are gradually getting to a place where the old "normal" is within reach. 

Today's hour at the park is one of those simple pleasures for which I have a newfound appreciation. Noah ran around, enjoying being outdoors and rolling in mud. Yes, literally. Reuben looked around happily, bemused as some light showers came and went, then drifted off to sleep in the sling. I just soaked up the very fact that we were there and, as another friend who also happened to turn up at the same park today said, "a few months ago I didn't think this would be happening again anytime soon."

I have a lot to be thankful for.

The lovely friend we were with snapped away with her funky camera (and her talent for photography) and actually got some really lovely shots of Noah, Reuben and I. Pictures that even I agree are nice (me being in them would usually be enough to put me off!!) So here are a few of those.