Every day is change. I have practiced so long to be cranky about change, to be curmudgeonly, it can be hard to abandon the old habits. Each day when I am successful at letting go some little piece of non-productive behavior, some incorrect but cherished belief brings me closer to a future of my dreams.

Today I am happy. I am not "getting back" to anything - not getting back in shape, not getting back to full range of motion, not getting back to some imagined perfect past.

Today, I am building toward a future of fitness, of managing arthritis pain and working within my physical limitations (even while pushing the envelope with the help of my physical therapists). Today I am accepting that my past is gone, it taught me much and made possible this moment. Today I am happy for how my hair is graying, how my skin is changing, how I am aging healthy.

Tomorrow I may be cranky and mean all over again. But for today, I am happy.

Dayenu.