It’s now been five months since I had my shoulder surgery and more than six months since I’ve been on a tennis court. I’m at the stage where people are asking me, “so you’re back playing tennis?” to which I reply, “uh, no not yet. It’ll be some time before I’m back. I just started physical therapy two weeks ago…”.
Then the conversation tends to drift in one of two directions. The first is, “you must really be missing tennis…”. The second “did you know beforehand that it was going to take this long?”. Quite provocative questions for a competitive athlete. I guess I’m fortunate that I’ve had extensive time off the court in the past four years due to surgeries…wrist, appendix, shoulder. As I’ve stepped into my latest physical therapy experience, I find myself energized at the process of bringing freedom back into a stagnant joint. I realize that I’ve always been excited at the process of having a difficult challenge and finding a way to address it. I do so now from a more gentle place, than from one that has a deadline.
In some ways, it’s no different to playing a tennis match. You have to find your way through it…different puzzle pieces, same type of challenge. I know that being off the tennis court has swung the door wide open for me to spend my former “tennis time” discovering other areas of my life. I recognize that there is so much to experience on this journey, that being thrown an unexpected curve ball is well…to be expected. It’s a way to welcome the change as an opportunity to refocus my energy into something else.
Since I’ve been off the court, I’ve had more energy to spend exploring our natural environment. This past summer we bought passes for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to go hiking in our local (and cooler) mountains. I have had space in which to bring backburner ideas into the forefront of my thinking. My business feels as though it’s had an infusion of attention leading to an expansive experience at the Australian Sanctuary Yoga Retreat in September and the upcoming Nourishment Program beginning end of October.
And yes, I do miss tennis. As I write this, the Tennis Channel is on in the background. But, I know that “it is what it is” and my shoulder will heal as it is meant to. If I lose patience and attach a timeline to that process, then I might miss the current lesson that I’m experiencing.
As one door closes, another door opens.
Are you ready to step through?
