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Grad-Itude 101 #2

November 14, 2013August 25, 2015 Crystal // Dreams, etc. 5 comments
Grad-Itude 101 #2
This is a post that I’ve been planning to do for awhile as part of Erika’s Grad-Itude 101 linkup over at Chimerikal. I’ve been planning to post this ever since finishing the 30 Day Shred, so it doesn’t fit into the monthly themes that started this month, but I’m going to go ahead and post it anyway.
I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that I’m grateful for and that’s the ability to move.
To be honest, when I was younger I probably would not have put this on any gratitude lists. I was born with clubfoot, which means that the feet are twisted inward and down. I had it in both feet but my right was the worst. My feet were corrected with casts when I was a baby and I’ve been able to walk and dance and run and skip and hop and jump ever since. People who are born with clubfoot are able to move without restrictions once it’s corrected, but if it isn’t it can restrict movement because in order to walk, a person would have to walk on the side of their foot.
I still have the casts that I wore. According to my parents I kicked off the cast that wasn’t cut off right after we got home after having them put on.
However, when I was younger I had to visit the doctor who corrected my clubfoot regularly and I dreaded those visits, though I don’t remember why I hated them so much. (I still feel anxious for a moment when I hear the name of the town that the clinic was in.) I also had to wear supportive shoes, which to me meant ugly (even though they may not have been). I was told to do exercises to help strengthen my foot. And while I can do all activities, if I stand, walk or do anything for too long I can still feel it in my right foot. Low impact activities (like swimming) are better than high impact, which is why I had to listen to my foot during the 30 Day Shred and modify some of the cardio if it was too hard on my foot.
Learning that it really is best to listen to my foot was a process because I don’t like being told that I should wear supportive shoes or that I should do special foot exercises or that I should reconsider jumping up and down for an hour straight. But over time I’ve learned that listening to my foot prevents pain.
Even though having clubfoot has turned out to be a pain in the rear (or, more accurately, the foot) I can still move. And it wasn’t until I traveled to a developing nation that I realized if I had been born in a different time or a different place where treatment wasn’t readily available, I may not have been able to have my clubfoot corrected. I may not have been able to walk and dance and run and skip and hop and jump. So I’m grateful that I was able to have my clubfoot corrected. I’m grateful that I have a dad who thought it was important and was able to make sure that I had supportive shoes on my feet. I’m grateful for parents who nagged me to do foot exercises. 
I’m grateful that I’m able to move, even if it sometimes causes pain.

What are you grateful for? Link up with Erika to share!
About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

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5 comments

  1. Optimistic Existentialist says:
    November 14, 2013 at 3:28 pm

    I found this really interesting. I had heard of clubfoot but really didn't know much about it until this post. I really like the perspective you put things in in the last paragraph.

    Reply
    1. Crystal says:
      November 15, 2013 at 6:03 am

      Thanks, Keith!

      Reply
  2. *tarazza says:
    November 14, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    Wow, great post. It's great that you still have the casts. It really does give you a perspective on being grateful for the things you can do, what your parents did for you, and the difference being given treatment early on can really make! It's a life-changer!

    Reply
    1. Crystal says:
      November 15, 2013 at 6:03 am

      Thanks, Tara! It really is a life-changer! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Erika from Chimerikal says:
    November 18, 2013 at 12:42 am

    Crystal, thank you for sharing this story! Wow, what perspective! And this statement: "But over time I've learned that listening to my foot prevents pain." <– isn't that the truth for anything — maybe not listening to our feet, but listening to anything that life is telling us? Sometimes we're so stubborn and neglect the signs when we just have to give in because it's what's best for us.

    Reply

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hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

I took these in early January when the snow still I took these in early January when the snow still felt a bit magical, but right now I’m just ready to walk barefoot in grass.

When I was younger I used to imagine what it would be like if we got so much snow that it would be piled high above our doors. I wondered if we’d be able to create tunnels in the snow to move around in.

And this year might just be the year we find out. I’m kidding, of course, but at this point I feel like we’ve been buried in snow. We’re even on track to beat some snow records I think (the amount of snow and the number of consecutive days with snow on the ground.

So. What’s the weather like where you are?
February was here and gone in the blink of an eye February was here and gone in the blink of an eye but contained moments I’ll carry with me forever.
When it’s almost halfway through February and yo When it’s almost halfway through February and you still haven’t posted January’s recap. January was filled with lots of family time. šŸ’™
Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few g Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few glimpses from January. As 2022 came to an end I had this feeling that I was preparing to hibernate and I guess, in a way, I have. I’ve been slowly easing into the new year, focused on getting back into a few routines after Iceland and the holidays. And it’s been a great month. I can’t believe it’s almost over. What have your favorite moments of January been?
2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of 2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of so many dreams experiences. Whales. Cape Cod/Nantucket. Iceland. I saw musicals that have I’ve been dreaming of with Moulin Rouge, Wicked, and Six. 

It wasn’t without its stresses and rough moments but I’m grateful for the good that can be found, even when it’s hard.
Let’s journey back to November for the second we Let’s journey back to November for the second weekly dam walk of the month. My dad joined me for this one and we made it somewhat fast because it was a chilly day. ā€œThe water looks cold,ā€ I said when we back to the car.

Between Iceland and the below zero, windy, and snowy weather we had last week (which came with requests from my parents not to go) it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been to the dam and I miss it!
Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Vienna and it still lives in my memory today as such a special time. I know December in Reykjavik will be the same—and not just because I came home with a little over $100 worth of ornaments of all 13 Yule Lads AND their mom AND the Christmas cat. (There was a little bit of miscommunication between my mom and me on that shopping trip. šŸ˜‚)

It might have been cold (and when that wind hits you don’t want to be outside or by the harbour…I speak from windswept, breath-stolen experience and will forever be grateful for the library we eventually found respite in) and we only saw the sun a few hours each day, but seeing this already charming city decked out in Christmas lights with a skating rink and the prettiest tree secured it’s place in my heart.

Reykjavik, I hope to see you again one day. Soon. Probably not in December, but I’m glad I got to see you in December once.
Last year my niece and I visited New York at Chris Last year my niece and I visited New York at Christmastime and it was fun to see the city decked out in lights. I can also now say that I’ve seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and skating rink and the Saks Christmas lights, but I’ve also seen the crowds they draw.

It was completely different in Reykjavik this year. You actually had a chance to skate on the ice rink if you wanted (and I never did the conversation, but I think it’s cheaper) and you could actually walk up to the Christmas tree. Two very different Christmas in the city experiences.
Iceland, Day 2, Part 2. We ended the Golden Circle Iceland, Day 2, Part 2. We ended the Golden Circle tour with a stop at Thingvellir National Park. My fingers froze as I took these photos but it was worth it to capture this view. šŸ˜ PS - the last photo is from a lake we stopped at on our way from Geysir to Thingvellir.
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