Love your body - love the journey!

[Helen]

Life's journey is not to arrive
at the grave safely in a well
preserved body, but rather to
skid in sideways, totally worn out,
shouting
"holy-(censored)...what a ride"

Anon
(found taped to a shop window)

[Helen]

well - I just had another look read of the post and could probably think it a little bizare to be putting it up here, where good health and living is what we are all aiming for.... but it was relevant to me at the time and still is.....
but i thought i should probably explain a little.....
Last week I had to fair well, my beautiful companion Joli - it is for me a tragic passing and a terribly sad time.  I feel blessed that he chose to come to our family for the remainder of  this lifetime - and although he only joined us in January - he was a very loved and cherished member of our clan.  It feels very strange to me not to have his beautiful face greating me when I get home and trips to the park are just not as meaningful.

So i guess at some point in dealing with my grief - i have had to look at the life that Joli had and the part he shared with us - and also at my own life - and i guess what i am seeing is that for myself - there is a  need for some fun and lightness - not to take myself and life so seriously - to laugh with abandonment - and celebrate the simple fact that i am alive - and this i am truely grateful for.....

[Rachan]

It did seem to come out of nowhere but I thought it added a nice contrasting perspective that highlights this tension in Life between discipline and loss of control.  Body and beauty is usually where a lot of discipline is involved.  Sometimes we need to be with the other side of Life to, as you say, "laugh with abandonment".
I'm sorry for your loss of Joli, though looks like you've learnt from it.  Learning from bad experiences is great... once you've learnt from it.