It's been so long since I've really posted. Sorry to my few loyal readers. College life has a way of getting in the way of the things I really want to do. All. The. Time. Honestly, I have so many things that I would love to, and really need to, share with you all. My last "real" blog post was in July and to say that a lot has gone on since then would pretty much be the understatement of the century. Currently I'm listening to Til I Collapse by Eminem (thanks Carlee!!-a song that I HATE to love!)and that's a pretty good description of life since August.
For those of you who follow me either on Twitter or in real life, you'll know that I spent a week in August volunteering at a camp called Camp Care which is run by a physical therapy center in CT. Crossroads (the PT place) isn't like most clinics you would think of. The therapy they do there is both functional and structural. They use manual therapy. Actually, just read the website. I can't do it justice. http://www.crossroadsphysicaltherapy.org
This was my second time volunteering, but my first experience with the week-long summer camp. The camp is for kids with various physical and mental impairments where they receive free physical therapy treatments for a week and have the opportunity to take part in a lot of activities that they may not normally get a chance to like swimming, running/playing outside, interacting with other children with impairments, etc. This is what I spent my week doing and it wad hands down the most amazing week of my life. Interacting with these kids and their families never ceased to put a smile on my face and remind me how much love can go such a long way in life. I'd be a liar if I said this week was made amazing just because of these kids though. While at camp, I had the opportunity to be treated one day. This was only my second time getting treated as well. I immediately felt differences in my body and knew, though I had been resisting it for a long time, that I needed to give this a try for myself. I also was on the receiving end of some of those fun activities I'd never gotten to do. During the week, I played soccer, my first game of kickball ever!, a fitness challenge that could have easily put be in my grave, and I got to go in the lake and be free in the water. Those of you who know me well enough know that water is one of my biggest fears, but also one of the places I would love to be all the time because I am free when I'm in it. Throughout these 4 days, there was one person..well 2 if you count God, but He's always beside me..that was there for it all. These experiences caused me to learn how to trust again, something I haven't done in 5 years--almost to the day. You see, I met this person at my first camp last December and we've been friends ever since. I don't know how I lived my life without him to help me through most of it. (He may or may not be reading this, but if he is...Oh well. He deserves to know how awesome he is. HI DAN! :)) The things I did at Camp Care he won't take credit for, but I know I couldn't have done them had it not been for his ability to be there for me, to let me know I could do it (and challenge me when I said I couldn't) and my ability--however fearful it was--to put my trust in him.
Because of that trust and that friendship, on the last day of camp, as we were walking up the beach, I was able to let go of his arm and take steps on my own. For the first time in 5 years. Coincidence that 5 years ago was the last time I truly trusted? No? I didn't think so.
Trust is funny. It's a five letter word. It's very simple. Yet, it can forever change your life. In the past 4 months, trust has been at the absolute center of my life. Another blog post tomorrow will catch you up on the rest of my adventures, but this was the start of it all, so I feel as though it deserved something all its own...
