A Year in the New Me

It's midnight...

I just took a shower.

Feeling somewhat restless in my head

So much I want to do

So much I want to accomplish

The windows are open and the sweet scent of spring is drifting in.

I look at myself in the mirror.

I smile and realize how far I've come!

I realize again that I've been in my new body for about a year!

A whole year.

Feeling my arms and the muscles on my upper body.

This is all still so new to me – this new firmer body.

I love the strength I have

The stamina

the power in my legs.

I take a deep breath in and smile

The house is still

The birds are still chirping in the night they are restless too.

Be present. Just be present.

Right here. Right now. So many things I want to do. So many things I want to experience in my new body.

Is there enough time?

I feel like I need to catch up on all that I missed in my old body.

But then I reflect again – remembering I still had a life before.

I still lived. Loved and shared.

But there is so much I want to do! I want to climb.

I want to express myself in new clothes.

I want to share my new body with someone...

I take a deep breath again. A sense of calm fills me.

I have to be patient.

I "have to enjoy the ride."

I slip into bed and laugh to myself about my new found tailbone.

Do You Really (Like, Really) Need to Wear Sunscreen Every Day?

Just 10% of people say they do.

Will you ever feel comfortable in your own skin? That is, if you don't make an effort to protect it? Although 64% of adults do report wearing sunscreen when outside for prolonged periods of time, it turns out that only about 10% of people surveyed actually protect themselves daily, according to a recent review.

No matter what your skin tone is, unless you live in a cave with no sunlight, daily protection with either sunscreen, sunblock or protective clothing can not only protect you from developing sunburns (ouch!) but can significantly reduce your risk of developing skin cancer, particularly the deadliest type called melanoma. In addition, for those of you wanting to keep your youthful looks, daily sunscreen has been shown to reduce the development of wrinkles. A great teacher once told me that the best way to not have wrinkles is not to get them in the first place (think of how much money you can save on useless creams that claim to diminish wrinkles).

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