Poem #9  My Physical Self

They say age is just a number—
it’s not how many years,
but how we’ve spent them.

Do I dance in the kitchen?
Say no to potato chips
and yes to strawberries?

Do I walk, stretch,
lift grocery bags like dumbbells
and twist just enough
to keep my body talking to me kindly?

Our bodies were built for motion:
climbing stairs,
reaching high shelves,
hugging deeply,

Doing nothing invites creaks and groans—
Doing something
welcomes energy, posture,
and the mischievous grin
of a body still game for more.

Yes, I laugh when I hear it:
“The best thing you can do for your health
is choose your parents wisely.”
But I’ll take it from here, thank you.

Because how I move,
how I notice my hands,
my toes,
my bones and breath—
that’s where the magic is.

It’s how I feel
most free,
most real,
most me.

So, here’s to the next walk,
the next stretch,
the next joyful twist—
this body is mine.

And it’s still
a pretty wonderful place to live.

 Note from Tricia: If you want more, now read the original reflection that inspired the above free-verse poem:

Reflection #9  My Physical Self

“Our life is all grounded and rooted in love, and without love, we may not live.” --Julian of Norwich

When I was younger my body carried me. In my 20’s and 30s, I had babies and climbed the steep steps of Teotihuacan, the Aztec ruins outside Mexico City. Even in my 50’s my days were filled with never ceasing activity that included five-day-a-week yoga practice and nine miles twice-a-week inline skating. Now approaching 70, I have modified my yoga practice and no longer skate due to possible falls.

Indeed, I have mixed emotions about my physical ability and find myself simultaneously living two realities depending on the day and season. I am learning through the years that one’s true age is not the number of years lived. Instead, it depends on how I’ve lived life; what I eat, how much I exercise, if I smoked or not (NOT), and how content and happy I’ve been.

The first reality is that some days it is almost like a part-time job, this caring for my physical well-being. Our bodies are encoded for a life of climbing, walking, stretching, flexing, twisting, and lifting. In my daily life tasks, I remain mindful to continue to move and stretch my body. Sitting, I flex my ankles back and forth. I transition from the chair or car to standing with an engaged core and straight back. Waiting at the checkout I circle shoulders and wrists. In the waiting room, instead of taking a seat until I am called, I find a quieter corner to do standing stretches, deep bends, and toe touches. I breathe in deeply, as I reach for my toes, and exhale as I rise to stand. Craft work is done standing at the counter. All of this does not take the place of designated exercise time, but it does keep me moving.

As time moves slowly and steadily forward, we have to keep vigilant and not let ourselves age prematurely. Time never stops so neither can we. Doing nothing says we are willing to allow physical infirmity to take over. As my friend Lois wrote to me, “I too have physical challenges that cause significant daily pain. Determination to not yield to the temptation to curl up in the always comfortable fetal position is part of my daily ritual. It can be exhausting!”

Doing something is the choice to stay vital and healthy. Humor always reminds me, “The most important thing you can do for your health is to pick your parents carefully.” Yes, DNA does play a role. My lifetime of dealing with scoliosis is clear evidence.

Yet, through regular exercise, even thirty minutes a day, we can help our bodies stay strong and mobile and keep fatigue and chronic pain away. It is our choice to be active or sedentary. Inaction for weakness and atrophy or action for higher energy and good posture. It is easy to put it off and you needn’t exercise frantically to keep up with the pace of time. A half-hour of movement and exercise a day to keep muscles strong and limbs flexible and at least one good walk. To have good posture we maintain strong flexible back muscles. To gain energy we eat right and burn calories to give us stamina.

How we experience our bodies is central to our sense of freedom and our feeling of empowerment. To understand our body’s capabilities, the way our hands, feet, and limbs engage with the earth is to understand who we are and our place in the world.

I encourage myself, and you, to choose the path of greater health with the body we’ve been given. 

Now it‘s your turn.

Take time to reflect and if in a group, share as you feel able.

Caring for my physical well-being:

a)    is almost like a part-time job.

b)    is a priority in my daily life tasks

c)    means continuing to do the best I can with the body I’ve been given. 

d)    gives me a sense of freedom and a feeling of empowerment.