Say ‘Yes’ to a Good Thing

By mivillarreal on March 1st, 2017

Carol Zernial
WellMed Charitable Foundation Executive Director

I have a new thing that makes me happy: Zumba at the local YMCA. I go twice a week. I look forward to it, and I’m sad when I have to miss it. It puts a smile on my face. That’s something I really needed during a difficult time.

What’s funny is that my friend has been inviting me to Zumba class with her for the past few years, and I didn’t want to go. I had other things at the time. Or I didn’t want to add anything new. I was sure I wouldn’t like it. So it has been a complete surprise to me that I enjoy it so much.

The reason I finally decided to go was that I wanted to spend more time with my friend, and she was at Zumba. So I went. But I found out that good things give many times over. Not only do I get to spend more time with my friend doing something we both enjoy, I also have met some lovely new women in the class. I’ve lost weight. I have better cardio endurance. I excited about the new music and artists that I have discovered through the class. I have some new dance moves.

I like the comradery of the class. These are women who are both professionals and stay-at-home moms. They are breast cancer survivors. They have recently lost a parent or are still caregivers. They are volunteering to raise scholarship money for the YMCA. Some, like me, are trying something new, too. We wish each other happy birthday, and celebrate each other’s achievements. We talk about community. It feels much more supportive than my old traditional gym, so I cancelled my gym membership. I guess I can add saving money to the list, too.

I think about all of the other caregivers while I’m dancing away at Zumba, wishing that everyone could have something that brings them joy at a time when they need it. I’m wondering how many of us have been turning down offers that could lead us to our next new thing.

A thing that brings us joy can be so small that we really do have time in our schedules and room in our lives regardless of where we are on the caregiving journey. It could be as simple as a new bright-colored flower in the garden that we nurture as it blooms. It could be a cat that purrs on our lap, or a dog that loves us unconditionally and does silly things. It could be a new book that we steal away to read one chapter or even a few pages at a time. It could be an online series available anytime. It could be a brief phone call that keeps us in touch with a person who puts a smile on our face, connects us to the outside world, and helps us to feel like we are still visible.

There are things, old and new, worth finding that will give back to us in ways we didn’t expect — but we have to say “yes” when the opportunity comes along.