Day 319 – Leap And The Net Will Appear

Art Apple - Day Three Hundred Nineteen“Leap and the net will appear.” – John Burroughs

I first saw this quote a few years ago on my step-daughter Amanda’s facebook page and I was thrilled. Thrilled because I loved the quote but thrilled mostly because I felt so proud of the woman she had become. Leaping isn’t an easy concept, in fact it is darned hard every single time we do it. But, believing in leaping did allow for Amanda to move across the country in hopes of a job and something a bit different, it did allow her to persist in her pursuit of her MBA despite the challenges with financing an advanced degree, and it did allow her to make it the 9 miles she hiked this past weekend in preparation for a trip out to Colorado to climb her first 14’er.

Fourteeners, or 14,000 foot peaks as they are most affectionately known and of which Colorado has 53 or 55 depending on who you ask.  Reaching the top of one allows for boasting and bragging rights when “bagged” and adoration if all of them are successfully summited. Thankfully am allowed to continue living in the state of Colorado because I did in fact “bag” one.  Amanda and her boyfriend Tony have been training for their visit over Labor Day weekend to hike with Doug up either Evans(14,265) or Grays(14,278).  Hopefully they will have better weather than she and Tony had this last weekend because they were miles from their car and it started to downpour and then hail! And, the last few miles back were uphill to the trail head. All in all, it sounded miserable but Amanda spoke like a true Visscher and emailed that “at least our new hiking boots are broken in” and “I felt like this hike was a little out of my skill level, but I made it, (of course, at some point you don’t really have a choice, you have to finish if you want to get out) it was a good challenge, though.”

And isn’t that it with most difficult situations in life. We can leap, face adversity and unknowing head on, and finish because that is what we have to do.

My step-momish reply… “You did it! I love these kinds of stories – you will tell it over and over… and it show that we can do whatever we set our minds to. And this way… we know when we do have to surrender – then our minds and bodies truly mean it.”

I loved to push myself before being diagnosed with AS. I did some crazy things to prove to myself that I could do physical things. I think I knew quite young and many years before I got very sick that things with my body weren’t quite right so I pushed and climbed, and skied, and jumped. And I’m grateful for every insane thing I did because now I know that my mind and my body really mean it that I can only do so much. I will still push myself only it will be in a different way.

Just leap!

Until tomorrow.

Jenna

Day 319 was created in pen & ink.

In The Studio

1. Countdown – 47 days to The Big Apple Paint-A-Thon to raise money for AS Education!

2. Apple Recipe of the Day – Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup

3. “AS” the World Turns – Fellow AS Blogger launched a new site today!

4. Apple Update – tattoos anyone?

5. Check out the new and improved emails from – The Daily Apple! If you haven’t already done so, please sign up to receive apples in your inbox. The New Daily Apple will include information that I don’t post on my blog including art, health, and of course… apples and whatever strikes my fancy 🙂 Take a look at a sample and sign up!

 

4 Replies to “Day 319 – Leap And The Net Will Appear”

  1. Well done to Amanda and to you too Jenna!
    Great pic. today…..love the determined and hopeful look on this apple’s face 🙂
    It’s still cold here Jenna, but daffodils, dutch iris and grape hyacinths are blooming, so spring can’t be far away. Starts officially first of September here, however the weather is quite changeable through Sept. and October.

    1. Hi Betty!
      Yes – I am so very proud of her. She amazes me with her strength.

      Oh I’m a bit jealous of your spring. I love fall so I look forward to September but there is nothing like spring to rejuvenate the soul.

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