Just show up

My 82-year-old father Tony amazes me. He is a strong, determined Italian man who just finished 35 days of radiation treatment for oral cancer at the end of 2015. Honestly, he is a true hero, as all my patients are who endure such things. He is a retired dentist of all things, with internship work done over 50 years ago at Sloan Kettering, so he knows a thing or two about oral cancer. But now he is up close and personal with it. On and off for the last 12 years, my sweet Dad has fought like a trooper for his life, and for all of his childrens' and great-grandchildrens' lives.

He just keeps showing up, and it's a powerful thing.

My Dad told me a quote Woody Allen always said, (not that he loved him or anything, but that's another story): "Half of life, is just showing up." As a kid I thought this was an odd thing to say. I mean, who doesn't want to show up if there are games to play, fun to be had and laughter for the soul?

As an adult I have become acutely aware of what he obviously meant. Life can be hard, complicated and at times challenging to say the least. Oftentimes our best intentions are thwarted by things we have no control over, like cancer or a fall on slippery ice while walking to feed the neighbor's dog.

This has happened to a lot of you that I know in my physical therapy practice, just like my Dad. You were tooling along in life, and suddenly something stopped you right in your tracks. You got a curve ball right at you and your life ground to a halt. You are stalled out, with all your goals and good intentions, stuck. Well I am hear to tell you, I get it loud and clear. It's overwhelming, you are afraid and you feel alone.

Well, you are not alone.

Just come into my physical therapy practices and you will see a lot of people just like you that have taken a hit.

The amazing thing is these people decided to choose to "just show up" in their life circumstances.

They made a conscious choice to put their body back together and heal.

They chose it.

I didn't, they did, I just was the coach and the guide.

Their body did the healing and they are moving now.

I want to challenge you in this new year to make a commitment to "showing up" with your tennis shoes on.

One of my dear friends told me last week that she and her friends decided to walk a half-marathon this year.

My other sweet friend said she is going to run a half-marathon.

These are people who could have easily said it's just too much, I have been through too much, but they didn't.

They decided to challenge their body and their mind and they are training.

I can't tell you how proud I am of them and the commitment they are making to their health. As my Dad always says, "just show up." It's never too late to have the life you desire.

Sheree DiBiase, PT is the owner of Lake City Physical Therapy and she and her staff want to honor all their patients who always show up to make a change.

We can be reached in CDA office at (208) 667-1988, Spokane Valley office(509) 891-2623, Hayden office (208) 762-2100, next to Gourmet Way in Hayden Creek Shopping Center.

On a side note, my dear Dad is still standing, and he just shoveled over 30 inches of snow last weekend in Maryland. He's incredible!