I have a lot to do today but I wanted to take a moment to give thanks for a very simple thing: lack of physical pain.

I caved yesterday and had the 2nd cortisone shot in my left elbow for the tennis elbow I’ve been dealing with since January.

I’ve done all manner of interventions: acupuncture, massage, strength and physical therapy. I even did a wacky self-induced masochistic torture which did provide some relief, but never took it away.

I am a Big Believer in psycho-genetic pain. I have read several books by Dr. John D. Sarno on the matter of “Tension Myositis Syndrome” (the link will take you to his site, but his work goes way beyond back pain) and I believe what he says has legs. I have friends who think I’m nuts — they actually look at me like I’ve got three heads when I start talking about the connection between emotional repression and physical pain or the chakras and how they manifest what we’re up against. I still love these people and I don’t care if they think I’m nuts. I end up feeling better and they continue to repress. I’m digressing…

I have personally experienced relief of physical ailments by participating in the exercises (mental folks, so the only sweating you’re gonna do is emotional) Sarno proposes. This tennis elbow is included in that experience, but it hasn’t gone away completely because I believe two things: 1) I haven’t done enough of The Work he proposes and 2) I am still holding back a few things which leads me back to #1. I am digressing again, I apologize.

The point is: I am grateful for the shot of cortisone. My pain is gone, completely, for the time being and that means I can concentrate on healing inside because I won’t be distracted by the manifested physical pain. Maybe I will write a post about it. Maybe…

I am extremely aware at this moment of people who are in pain. I am conscious of it because now I don’t have any and I know what it’s like to wake up with the pain I’d had for about nine months as my body gradually adapted and muscles compensated for the injury. This morning, I woke with the phantom of that pain: anticipating it but not feeling it. Worried about it but not experiencing it. Obsessing over it, but not having it. I am sort of out of sorts — the pain had become a part of my existence and my identity. I have fear in my heart that it will return; part of this (the return of the pain) I can not control; the fear I can. And I will have to work on that.

I know that everyone out there who lives with pain on an hourly, moment-by-moment and daily basis is in my heart today.

I am putting together a post because I have won three blogger awards in the last three weeks: Versatile Blogger, Very Inspiring Blogger and the Liebster Blog Award.  I am thrilled and grateful for the recognition; there are fantastic writers and photographers and artists out there that I’m gonna share. I hope you will take a peek at that post! If you love movies, I’ve got a site for you. If you love painters, I’ve got a couple sites for you. If you love holistic health, I’ve got a site for you. If you love woo-woo psychic stuff, I’ve got some sites for you. I’ve got you covered, is all I’m gonna say. So, stick around. We’ll be right back.

Thank you.