Dystonia is an intense and persistent teacher. Since being diagnosed last year I have learned so much about myself - what I am capable of surviving, how forcefully I can push through pain to show up for my son, my family, friends, and work. Knowing that my condition is a chronic one, a disease that can be managed to an extent but never cured shifted my focus from what I was unable to do to what I could do, even if I needed a little help. I was suddenly free to accept and celebrate smaller victories. My neurologist said it perfectly today - “there is great relief in the LESSENING of pain. That every day at a pain level of 4 is so much better than day after day at 7.” He’s right. It’s funny what happened when I decided to explore what I could do, rather than focus on what I couldn’t. I started teaching myself to paint and sketch, and even though I’m not great at either just yet, I find I always pack up the paintbrushes or pencils with a smile on my face. Once I realised my pain wasn’t temporary, I was able to stop waiting to be liberated from it. I stopped putting off the business of living life, and started figuring out how best to live it. I learned that I’m most mobile in the late afternoon, that I have to stretch in the morning (EVERY morning,even if it hurts like hell), and that Tiger Balm in the eye REALLY sucks. I learned that if I’m having a pretty good day and am given an opportunity to dance tonight, getting out on the floor requires only an extra hour or so of recuperation tomorrow. The thing is, I love to dance. It’s worth the extra hour. The universe doesn’t deal all of us an equal hand. I would argue that most of us have one or ten major challenges that we have to meet head on every day. And, sometimes that sucks. But if there are rainbows among the clouds, and I have to believe there are at least a few - the beauty they show us just might be worth the effort we have to put into finding them. #hemidystonia #dystonia #keepgoing #justkeepswimming #adventure #workingmom #socal #losangeles #friday #weekend #instagood #instagram #selfie #instadaily #motivation #love