POP!

In the blink of an eye life can go "pop".  If you been breathing on this planet, you know what I mean.  Life goes along its usual routine, then “pop” life interrupts the flow.   Last week,  “Pop,” went my daughter’s Achille’s tendon and now her world has suddenly become restricted her senior year of college.  She will not be able to drive for the next several months.  Her “Pop” becomes my “pop”.   I drop what I'm doing and make my plans to be with her for a week post-surgery.

Life is full of pops.   Some small. Some big.Some devastating.  They are going to happen. The question is how do we cope when these pops emerge to shake us out of routine? Some of it depends on our constitution and ability to manage ourselves in life, and part of it depends on circumstances and the degree of support we have in our lives.  I feel fortunate.  I am in charge of my schedule, I don’t have to answer to an employer and feel guilty about time off.  I have the means to spend the time away without worrying about sleeping in my car.  For this I am grateful. My daughter who is hundreds of miles away will be able to have a parent by her side along with her college friends and staff even in this time of Covid pandemic. For this she is grateful.

“Pops" are life’s awakening. Pops let us know when we have a good thing, and not to take it for granted.  Pops can rally together our support letting us know that we are not alone. Recently, a friend did not know how much support she had until she saw the huge response on her GoFundMe to assist her with her mother’s recovery after a long hospitalization.

Life’s pops tell us that we are not the one in charge.  It may be our resistance to change that makes us suffer when pops happen.  With each “Pop” we may curse our luck, or we may count our blessings. “Pop” we suffer, or “Pop” we learn how to appreciate and move forward. Where we put our thoughts is our choice. 

Yoga states that pain that has not yet happened is avoidable.  How do we prepare ourselves for the inevitable pops? Do we constantly run on empty, then have no energy when a pop happens? How we live our routine lives is preparation for the unexpected. The practices of yoga (healthy lifestyle, movement, conscious breathing, relaxation, meditation) were meant to help us ride the pops in the best way possible.