Sick and lame, but never lazy

    I can remember a time long ago when a young soldier would line up for morning physical fitness with her unit.   Over and over the scenario seemed to replay, "profiles and sick calls fall out".  With some hesitation, she did as she was told.  It seemed her profile never ended.  If it wasn't her knees, it was something else.  She watched as the unit made a right face and marched away.  Soon, they would run.  There she stood among others of her kind, labeled forever as the sick, the lame, and the lazy.  Deep down, she knew she did not belong in this group.  She wanted to run.  She loved to sing the cadence.  She longed to experience that rush, that runner's high.  She hung her head in shame.
   That was then.  This is now.  Today, I woke up sick again.  Nothing special.  Just a head cold.  But enough to make me want to crawl back under the covers.  I got up, blew my nose, and proceeded downstairs.  Much like my early days, I had to be present for morning formation.  I still had to get up, get dressed, and well, get motivated.  Instead of a Sergeant, I now have a cat yelling at me demanding her breakfast.
   Back then, we had to work together as a team.  If one person was late, we were all punished.  Today, I still make sure everyone is up, getting dressed, getting their beds made before I head down to make coffee.  I guess I still live with the self discipline of a soldier.
   My husband was wonderful.  He went out to a nearby grocery store and picked up some orange juice, chicken soup, etc, so I wouldn't have to go out in the cold today.  Teamwork.
   When he came home, I was already on the treadmill.  He peeked in and said, "Are you sure you should be doing that?"  "I want to sweat." I replied.  "Shouldn't you be resting?".  "I promise I'll rest right after my shower.  I want to keep my strength up".  I must admit, it was harder today.  I really had to focus, but I made it..  And I do feel a bit better having exercised.  Now I understand that being sick or even lame was never the same as being lazy.  I remind myself of the story of the tortoise and the hare.  Getting healthy is not a race with others.  Its an individual challenge.  Its a question of what you can do, what you can achieve.  I will always have that profile and I will always be in the back of the formation.  But, even with my limitations, I can still... "be all I can be" if I don't give up on myself.
And so can you.