How did you spend your day today? Like most of us we do just about the same thing day after day…
Wake, coffee, exercise, work, eat, rest, socialize, sleep and repeat.

Of course sometimes there is vacation or company that can change up a day. Then there is illness.

Illness messes with the routine of a day like no other.

I’m spent last week with my friend Kim in Albuquerque. Her day is packed full with all kinds of appointments, procedures, and paperwork. Coffee, exercise, work, meals, rest, socializing, and sleep are a bonus when they get into the day.

I used to ask people what they were willing to give up when they said they wanted to learn Tai Chi. Usually I got funny looks after that question, but I continued with the acknowledgement that I assumed their day was already full. Adding an extra activity takes more time than you’d think.

Of course we don’t think that way. We think we have the 90 minutes on Tuesday night for class and that is enough. We don’t take in to consideration practice time or even the travel time it takes to get to class and home.

When an illness comes out of the blue; all of a sudden you need to make time for all kinds of shit you never thought about before and it doesn’t take long before you see what needs to get left behind.

My routine this week is easy.

Kim and others who are fighting cancer, alcoholism or any other life threatening illness have a totally different routine. Forget coffee, exercise, work, eat, rest, socialize, sleep and repeat. For them it is appointments, spinal tap, chemo, PET scan, meds and repeat.

Today, I curse the battle and salute the warrior.