breakthrough

Isn't this little plant the poster child for breakthroughs?  I had a couple myself over the past couple of days.  That's right.   Breakthroughs, not breakdowns! yay!   Well, I did almost have a breakdown over my allergy detective work.  I managed for 5 1/2 whole days on the fruit, veggie, and a little meat diet.  In the mean time my eczema completely cleared up.  And I was completely miserable.  I got several, "Are you OK?"s.  I pretended like I was but I wasn't fooling anyone.   On the fifth day I decided I would rather have food in all it's glory than be eczema  free, but at the same time I was still wanting to pinpoint the culprit.  To make a long, very boring story short. I didn't make it through the sixth day.  I was feeling light headed by the end of the day.  I guess I'm just too active to eat like that.  Logically, it doesn't make that much sense to me because I had quadrupled the normal quantity of foods that I eat.  I wasn't satisfied, but I didn't expect to become dizzy.  I did dance for an hour and a half with Chris and I had my first night of a jazz class that night.  Anyway, at least I know it is a food allergy.  There is always acupuncture.
That brings me to my second breakthrough.  Chris told me that I had one in my dancing!  And he also said that he is getting really excited about my progress.  That is such a huge deal to me.  Maybe it shouldn't be, but he tells it like it is when it comes to dance, and he has very high standards.  So for him to say that is---well, it's a first.  Just as a back ground Chris and I had the best summer ever swing dancing together, we started dating that summer.  It was magical.  Dancing, falling love.  Perfect.  Chris went on to become a well trained ballroom dancer, and I finished up my art degree and had our babies.  I miss the time when we were equally yoked in the dancing department.  Playing catch up has been no fun at times.  Painful at times, wishing for the fun days of the past.  I've had to really suck up my pride and deal with it.  I'm so glad it's finally starting to feel worth it. Yay!   Slowly, but surely, kind of like the progress on my chairs.  When you look at what I started with, it's so difficult to see the possibility of beauty in pile of trash.  Now that some of the sanding is done, it's starting to seem more realistic.

 I'm not giving up...  just like that little plant.  Starting to see the sun!

I'm grateful for slowly but surely.  Progress. Breakthroughs. Hope!