Get Outside!

I was very discouraged today.  I tried new shoes.  Actually I bought them at Goodwill a few months ago.  They are great shoes, but I didn't try them on.  The result are two huge blisters on my feet.  So... Going outside the rest of the day with the snow couldn't happen.  I may have to wear slippers to the store tomorrow.

I was so bummed by it.  Silly, I know, but my outside time has become vital to me. From my morning walks to later walks with my loved ones to playing with my youngest or taking my nephew to the park, I have fallen back in love with being outside!

When I'm walking or enjoying the fresh air, the health issues I have don't bother me much.  The aching muscles and joints don't hurt.  In the house I always feel like I'm freezing.  Outside, when I'm walking and moving, even if I'm cold, I'm not freezing. Yes, I am hypothyroid.  I am getting treatment, but it is a S-L-O-W process.

I have noticed that the outside time is amazing for Megan.  She tends to focus a little better in our homeschool when I let her go outside, even if just to walk our dog.  Sending her outside to play in the afternoons, even when it's cold, means she sleeps better.  For an ADHD insomniac, these are remedies I like that don't include medication.

Lately I've been spending a lot of time remembering who I used to be.  I was an outdoor girl as a child.  Being outside did not stop my reading obsession.  There was always a tree to read under or a fence line to walk (while reading). I remember the girl that loves adventure, on one Grandmother's farm or with the other going to the theater and out to eat. 

I'm remembering the young woman I used to be.  Before I was a Christian, before I became a stay at home wife and mother, I was a woman that traveled a little.  I feel like God is reminding me of who I was, because she isn't dead. 

As a new Christian, I buried my past.  The old me is gone.  I'm a new creation, right?  But, God created me.  The mistakes I made and the sin I chose and the shame and guilt, that should be gone.  Christ took that upon himself. For some reason, I let go of all the things that made me who I am because I felt that person didn't have much value.

The things I loved, I laid aside.  Being outside with my kids became them playing outside while I made dinner.  The fun travels were usually substituted by doctor's appointments and soccer games and friends... All for the children.  A couple times a year the hubby and I would go out for an evening.  

It wasn't until recently that the 'ole travel bug came back.  Mostly, I just felt cooped up.  I liked going for walks outside. It didn't feel as strenuous as working out inside.  It relaxes me.

I began considering the differences in how I grew up and how my youngest daughter is growing up. I realized she needs to be outside AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Yes, her ADHD would be helped, but I also believe spending hours outside is an education in itself. 

Snow and cold temps make it a bit discouraging at times.  My walking shoes aren't waterproof.  The blister-makers from Goodwill may keep the water out, but the pain isn't worth it to me. And it's the holiday season.  Extra funds for waterproof shoes will have to wait. 

Longing to be outside opens the door to more nature walks, more field trips, and more time to just get away.  It definitely opens the door to adventures. 

Get outside and have some adventures.