Solution-based living has not come easy to us. It took us a solid seven years, working through the five stages of grief to find comfort. Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) presented problems with Colleen’s walking gait and speech in the early stages. Over time, issues with her eyesight and hearing arose. Today Colleen is wheelchair-bound, non-verbal, and has increasing challenges related to fine motor control. Her SCA presented us with an option; we could either view life as something we had to endure or answer the call by living our best life yet.
Table of contents
Activity Shift
Since there is no known cure for SCA, Doctors treat symptoms rather than the disease itself. Similarly, we have focused on the solution rather than the problem. Life presented us with the challenge of finding new activities to enjoy together. Before Colleen’s symptoms arose, we enjoyed hiking and biking. After her diagnosis, this was no longer an option. After I developed a love for running, we bought a jogging stroller so I could push her in 5 and 10K races. Over the following 2 years, we ran 82 races covering 381 miles. We also loved traveling for vacation. When I was sent on the road for work, Colleen would fly out and meet me for long weekends. After her symptoms started to develop, this also was no longer an option. This love of travel eventually led us to our full-time RV adventure, which resulted in trekking through 37 states and logging over 15,000 miles.
Choices and Changes
By the time Colleen and I started on our great adventure, we knew we had struck on something extraordinary. We were living life to the fullest despite our circumstances. Today, every time life presents us with a new challenge, a new version of ourselves is required. We frequently have to change our perception of the latest challenge. Approaching these challenges with this mindset leads us to the solution.
Over the last three years, I have put a lot of thought into our life philosophy and how we employ this in our lives daily. The only thing we had to change was EVERYTHING! The principles that we use are simple, but they are not effortless.
Life Philosophy
In previous posts, we shared some significant events that led to a turning point in our life. Now that our traveling days are done, and we have set roots down in Tucson, AZ, we will attempt to piece together how our life philosophy has shaped our solution-based lives and marriage. Aristotle said, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” This concept is undoubtedly true of our personal and spiritual development. We must continue this process for us to face new challenges as we grow together.
