I’ve been part of a committee charged with building an outdoor labyrinth at our church. We’ve been working on this task for over four years. It has been, at times, so frustrating to try to continue despite the many obstacles that were thrown in our path. There were moments when I had the urge to construct a quick ‘midnight’ labyrinth that would suddenly appear the next morning. But, of course, that would be a weak effort, not fully sound and would not last very long before degrading back into something unsustainable. The parallels with ME/CFS are unmistakable.
When I was struggling with ME/CFS, I would begin to make progress. I would actually be able to handle a trip to the grocery store. I was elated! And afterward, there was no crash. Yahoo! This was it. I could taste the satisfaction of recovery and being back to my old self. Followed by another day of moderate activity. Still feeling good. And then, in a rush, I would pick up the pace and get back to my old ways. We all know what happened next. Full plunge crash - and feeling worse than ever. I was not fully well and could not sustain the pace before degrading back into ME/CFS. Full disclosure, I’m a bit embarrassed to say, I did this several times. Several times! What was I thinking? I just wanted it SO bad, that I would rush to the finish.
Last Saturday, after years of planning, winning over the congregation and having a contractor lay a solid foundation of compacted crushed stone with a final layer of heavy, screed sand, we assembled the labyrinth. Led by our committee and supported by a hard working army of volunteers, we laid out the intricate pattern of stones, cutting some as necessary, to form the paths of the labyrinth. It looks beautiful and is solid underfoot. It will last a long time - only because we didn’t rush to the finish. We kept to the consistent, detailed pace. It’s a wonderful milestone - excuse the pun. But even now, we’re not done yet. The contractor will return and compact the surface to ensure that all the stones stay in place. Then they will fill all the gaps with polymer sand to lock the stones together. Then they will regrade up to the edge with loam and reseed so the grass will regrow around the labyrinth. And we all know how long it takes for grass to grow and fully take hold.
If you’re struggling with ME/CFS, please resist the urge to rush to the finish. It is SO tempting. But resist you must. How do you deal with keeping to your successful pace? What are your strategies? Please COMMENT or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them. You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.
Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays. And consider being part of the conversation.
Be Well Again,
Martha
When I was struggling with ME/CFS, I would begin to make progress. I would actually be able to handle a trip to the grocery store. I was elated! And afterward, there was no crash. Yahoo! This was it. I could taste the satisfaction of recovery and being back to my old self. Followed by another day of moderate activity. Still feeling good. And then, in a rush, I would pick up the pace and get back to my old ways. We all know what happened next. Full plunge crash - and feeling worse than ever. I was not fully well and could not sustain the pace before degrading back into ME/CFS. Full disclosure, I’m a bit embarrassed to say, I did this several times. Several times! What was I thinking? I just wanted it SO bad, that I would rush to the finish.
Last Saturday, after years of planning, winning over the congregation and having a contractor lay a solid foundation of compacted crushed stone with a final layer of heavy, screed sand, we assembled the labyrinth. Led by our committee and supported by a hard working army of volunteers, we laid out the intricate pattern of stones, cutting some as necessary, to form the paths of the labyrinth. It looks beautiful and is solid underfoot. It will last a long time - only because we didn’t rush to the finish. We kept to the consistent, detailed pace. It’s a wonderful milestone - excuse the pun. But even now, we’re not done yet. The contractor will return and compact the surface to ensure that all the stones stay in place. Then they will fill all the gaps with polymer sand to lock the stones together. Then they will regrade up to the edge with loam and reseed so the grass will regrow around the labyrinth. And we all know how long it takes for grass to grow and fully take hold.
If you’re struggling with ME/CFS, please resist the urge to rush to the finish. It is SO tempting. But resist you must. How do you deal with keeping to your successful pace? What are your strategies? Please COMMENT or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them. You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.
Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays. And consider being part of the conversation.
Be Well Again,
Martha
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