Balanced Riding

My mom was a walker. She prayed and walked, socialized and walked, got space from my dad through walking, and probably brightened a lot of other people’s days with her generally friendly demeanor. She walked a LOT, several miles a day, well into her eighties. Then came the day when she developed plantar fasciitis, and in a small way, her world came to an end. All the other regulars on the sidewalk circuit would, for an indefinite time and possibly forever, no longer be part of her meet-and-greet day. The mental health benefits of movement, the physical benefits of movement and sunshine (she walked right by the ocean most days), the space from Dad (and the space she created for him to be free of her)… A major mechanism for enhancing her quality of life was just gone, and the only comfort medical science could offer was: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and NSAIDs. She coped, and when the symptoms subsided, she resumed a more modest regimen, but it took a long time, and forever…