It’s time.  I joined the Basic-Fit health club a few months ago and then trips to England and Senegal had me disappear.

Since returning from the heat of Senegal a week ago, my favourite word has been “sleep” … many horizontal hours.

In Senegal I felt so weak, so old. I couldn’t imagine climbing onto an elliptical machine again. “Perhaps when I get back to Belgium,” I un-reasoned, “I’ll visit a medical supplies store and pick me up a multi-coloured walker.” (Sigh)

Now I’m sitting with my cappuccino feeling physically unfit. I am, however, spiritually fit. There’s great love inside me that needs to ooze out into the world.

And now for the physical …

I have everything I need in my Basic-Fit backpack. Once I finish writing, I’ll head over there, with no expectations of “performance”. I don’t need to perform to some standard. I just need to show up.

Two years ago in Canada, my trainer Tony showed me an awesome stretching program. There were fourteen stretches, most of which won’t come to mind right now. No worries … I brought the sheet.

I love the elliptical. In Belgium most folks don’t know the term – it’s a cross-trainer. Any way you spell it, the machine is smooth. My knees say thank you. My feet are on pads that do a circular motion. My hands are on bars that go back and forth. Sweet.

So what if I last ten minutes on the elliptical today? Who cares if I’m “slow”? I am returning.

My body is different than I remember. More fat, frequent aches, laboured breathing on the stairs. (I just wrote this … and now I’m smiling) Smiling is good, especially since I’m living in the marvelous city of Ghent, and enrolled with my cello in the Poel music school starting in September, and blessed by the presence of new friends.

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Just about done writing

Just about to start stretching my soul