Thanks St. Joe's!

Potential.

That's what I see as I stand in front of all these physical therapy students at St. Joseph's University today.

They're going to change lives!

To this amazing group...

Thank you for listening to my story and asking such thoughtful questions. 

But thanks, most of all, for setting your goals to become physical therapists.

It's impossible to put into words all the ways my own PTs supported me along this journey.  They changed my life.  And they were truly my guides -- every step of the way.

(Including an awesome PT student
named Colleen!)

I could never have done it without them!

When I look out at all of you, I envision ALL the future patients who'll achieve their goals because you achieved yours.

Best of luck with your classes and clinicals.  

I can't wait to see the difference you'll make!

Spring Signs (a little poem)

In Old City
spring lights up the trees

and fire escapes.

And construction zones.  

And moving vans too.

So watch your step.

It's in the hats and gloves
and the morning chill
as café owners set tables on the sidewalk.

In spring it seems
everyone smiles more.

Even this early.

Even on a Tuesday.

And at OCC (my favorite stop), there's a special drink in the air --
a violet tea latte,
which I'll sample sometime soon

on a warm afternoon.

When you walk the same path every day, 

you notice the smallest changes.

These are mine.

What subtle signs of spring are on your well-traveled route?

A Garden and A Library

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

This week, I had both!

The Philadelphia Flower Show and the Free Library of Philadelphia -- a perfect combination to kick-off the season.

Here in Philly, the Flower Show curtails the end of winter.  

(Even if disco lives on!)

Stepping from the blustery March sidewalk into the warmth of the Convention Center is a sure sign of greener days to come.

It's a rainbow of scent,

and color,

and inspiration!

But a library -- isn't that for all-seasons?

Technically yes.  But our local branch is only open limited hours these days.  So when I step out of a doctor's appointment which happens to be across the street... 

...I hit the "open-hours' jackpot!

I wander through the library stacks the same way I wandered through the Flower Show just days earlier -- awed by the creativity, the variety, and the pure potential in so many volumes (and so many stems!) all in one place.  

I check out a French documentary called Louvre City.  Anything about France, like reading in general, transports me to a place of hope and renewal!

Winter into spring is always a tough transition. 

I recently began working with a specialized PT to help with digestive issues.  And just today, I started the long process of breaking in a new prosthetic liner.  

I'm trying to walk more.  
Improve my stamina.  
Get back into shape.

It's like pushing up through the frozen soil or -- if you're more of a reader than a gardener -- it's like trying to write a novel, one keystroke at a time.

I finish off the week with a quiche of spring flavors.  Fresh herbs?  A trip to France?

It's like a garden + library in one!

Happy Spring -- and Happy "St. Patti's" Day (as we say in our family)!

May your garden be healthy.
May your library be open and full.

May you have everything you need.

And may you walk safely -- even on the windiest of days!

Art Walk

Walk 2 blocks.

That's what we did.

We simply walked east instead of west, as we usually do.

Of course, like always, it's not quite as simple as it sounds.  To venture off the beaten path -- to walk those 2 blocks east -- involves a downhill slope, a kind of shadowy underpass, and a stretch of sidewalk that's a bit more isolated than I like.

The city has tried to make it more palatable.
(And safer!)

Technically it's well-lit and filled with car traffic, but for an above-knee amputee like me, walking down here alone still feels vulnerable.  I'm more comfortable sticking to my usual route around the neighborhood.

Everything's easier with a friend though.  (Thanks walking buddy, Jasmine!)

Before we know it, we emerge onto the sidewalk along the Delaware River.  

Can you see us??

There, we're embraced by all kinds of ART!

I'm especially taken with this piece by
Becky McIntyre  -- and the Philly community!

Cherry Street Pier is a century-old industrial pier that juts out into the river.

It's been rehabbed into a public art space with studios and workshops,

 rotating exhibits
like this one by Athena Astraea,

and murals by local artists.

Philly style --
"Yous" know what I mean :)

I've been to events here before, but it's my first time wandering around for no reason at all.

On this Sunday afternoon, it's quiet and open -- an array of colors, metal, and glass.   Art is EVERYWHERE.

It's in the structure and shapes,
the well-worn stone, 
and the deep cerulean sky.

I recently read this quote by author Gretchen Rubin:

We can walk into any room and call it a museum.

I couldn't agree more, but I'd take it one step further...

We can walk out of any room too.

To sidewalks
and waterfronts

and cityscapes

and community spaces.

You never know what you'll find.

About a year into the pandemic, I wrote a post called Walk Until Your Day Becomes Interesting, inspired by one of my favorite travel writers, Rolf Potts.

Back then, I was trying to conjure up a new adventure.  And though I never quite reached the goal I set out for in that particular post, I still love -- and live by -- this philosophy.

Walks are interesting.  Exploration can be its own reward.   

Go ahead.  Walk 2 blocks.  

You don't have to wander far.  (I rarely do!)

Just keep your eyes...or ears...or mind... open to whatever you find.

And then, stop and enjoy the view!

(Jodie, I thought of you a thousand times on this walk!  Can't wait till we can walk together. xo)

Happy 13th Riley!

If you want to measure time and distance, just watch a child grow up.

In November 2010, when my sister Sam got the call that I'd been critically injured in an accident, she plopped my then 8-month-old niece, Riley, into a car seat and embarked on an unplanned 400-mile road trip from Vermont to Philly.  

In the months that followed, they retraced that trip together many times.  

Riley became quite the seasoned traveler.  She even sneaked into the hospital to keep my spirits up.

Back then, she was nowhere near the minimum visitor age of 13.  

What a rebel!

As I made progress, we wondered who'd walk first -- me or Riley.

At Mile 15, it was too close to call.

Riley grew up with me as an amputee.  

She was perceptive.  No one had to tell her.  She just figured it out on her own.

In preschool, her class learned about the human body.  You know how that lesson goes...

Everyone has two eyes,
two ears,
two arms,
two hands...

But when the teacher got to the part about "two legs," Riley piped up.

"Not everyone has two legs," she announced.  "My aunt only has one."

The teacher was a bit embarrassed.  

I was thrilled. :)

Today is Riley's birthday.  She's 13!

She is smart and sarcastic and all the things a brand new teenager should be.

She plays basketball.  Wears makeup.  Loves hanging out with her friends.  

Shopping is her favorite pastime.  (She gets that part from me!)

At 13, Riley is way cooler than I ever was.

And I'm just fine with that!

We've crossed a lot of time and distance together. 

I don't think about it everyday.  Usually I'm just her aunt.  And she's my niece.  But once in a while -- on milestone days like today -- I stop and take a look around.

Watching Riley grow up has been like a measuring stick for my own journey.

It's amazing to look back at where we've been.  

But it's even more fun to look ahead -- and imagine where we might go.