Day By Day

In 1998 I had back problems.  It was my own fault.  I could not get well on my own, so I had surgery.  After the surgery, I was given as series of exercises.  I was told that if I did these exercises everyday, my back would be OK.  After surgery my back was sore and the exercises difficult.  It was all new to me.  But then my back got better and I was even able to run again.  Now if I had said, "I am OK now.  I don't have pain.  I can stop my exercises," you would think me crazy.  I still do these exercises everyday, and add some yoga and dynamic stretching a few times each week.  I meet so many people who did not get well or stay well, because they did not discipline themselves to do what they were told would heal them on a daily basis.  Healing is a daily reality, not a permanent reality once achieved.  The spiritual life, recovery life is the same dynamic.  You learn to do something to make you well, but then you stop doing it because now, "I feel better."  Better is only for today.  That is why I do the same basics over and over again.  Detachment is not about letting go of healing activities in our daily life.