Happy New Year – it’s been a while since I decided to show up here but I’m back, like it or not!   I love the idea of starting new in 2017 yet I wanted to remind everyone that every day is a new day to start fresh – who needs an entire year to go by to make a fresh start? Not me!

As I reflect on 2016 and greatly anticipate an amazing 2017, I wanted to reflect on some things I’ve learned while living with Lyme’s disease. It is a completely different beast than I ever would have imagined.   Living with Lyme’s has the fun of working with food restrictions and food allergies, numerous bouts of various medications, many physical limitations, along with mental and emotional challenges.

There are so many limitations Lyme’s can put on one person every day. However, are they really limitations or are they lessons? I’d like to think they are lessons. What I’ve learned living with Lyme’s is that it’s ok to slow down. It’s ok to enjoy the quiet moments of life. It’s ok to shut your eyes for 5 minutes and breathe in the fresh (cold) air while the sun warms your face. Its ok to snuggle on the couch with a loved one and just savor the moment of closeness. It’s ok to be late for a meeting sometimes. It’s ok to eat ice cream for breakfast and pancakes for dinner. It’s ok to skip hockey or basketball practice to head to Starbucks instead. It’s ok to sit in your car when you get home so you can finish belting out your favorite song. (Just did that myself yesterday). It’s ok!  I now know don’t have to win the race every day and some days I don’t even participate. And that’s ok. Why? Because limitations or not, I can wake up (God willing) and start fresh tomorrow.