Know for sure

I have such amazing patients that are going through such difficult things in their lives, and they always teach me things that they know for sure.

One in particular has faced death's door, and last week, he shared with me the three recurring themes of life, as well as how what we do when we are in the middle of it can make all the difference in the world.

These three themes are forgiveness, freedom and letting go.

I told him these themes are difficult, and he smiled and said, “Not really you just have to be willing.”

“Willing, such an interesting word,” I thought.

We use this word a lot in my world of physical therapy.

My patients enter our space full of emotions, with pain and broken bodies. Their hearts are heavy, their bodies are mixed up and they are afraid.

Slowly, with great care, we guide them in putting the pieces back together for the life they desire, with a new set of circumstances.

They have to be willing. They have to forgive, be set free and let go of the past and accept the future, which in their eyes is often a place they never saw themselves going. It's a lot of work physically and mentally.

Often they resist the necessity of change and fight with the pain. Sometimes they hold on to the body of the past and that body is debilitated.

Only if they are willing to forgive themselves and their body of the brokenness, let go of the old ideas of self, can they be set free to live a new life.

As we chatted, it came over me that in life, these three themes do keep showing up.

How we handle our life circumstances will always be a challenge and life will always be difficult, we can't change that.

Sometimes cancer shows up, sometimes you fall off the curb and break your leg, and sometimes you have surgery and your body doesn't look the same anymore. Are we willing? Will we choose it? Are we going to be people of depth, compassion and resilience that choose forgiveness, freedom and letting go? I think so, I see my patients choose it everyday, you just have to be willing.

Sheree DiBiase, PT is the owner of Lake City Physical Therapy, and she and her wonderful staff are rooting for you as you journey the challenges of life. You can do it, and we are here to help, please call us: Coeur d'Alene office (208) 667-1988, Hayden (208) 762-2100, Spokane Valley (509) 891-2623.