Have you ever been traveling down life’s highway, then bam, a detour appeared that you were not expecting?
Sometimes it seems like somebody forgot to put up the “merge right” sign and instantly all we see are the orange cones and only one lane ahead.
“Hey, wait a minute” we might say, “A detour??? I’m busy. I’ve got plans. I don’t have time for this!”
Life does that. It throws things into our paths at moments when we are happily cruising right along. Then, a flagger suddenly appears and ushers us off some exit we never even knew existed.
Exits like:
- Overworked- sometimes we put everything we have into a job, and it never seems like enough.
- “Un” friendshipville- the place where friends that seemed true and genuine ended up being different than we had hoped.
- The City of Family Conflict- where even people with the greatest of intentions simply don’t get along.
- Griefland- the route of emotions that can knock us sideways when we least expect it.
Honestly, I can say that over the course of my life so far, I’ve skirted through most of those “towns.” Fair enough, I suppose, I mean, life is essentially a series of learning journeys.
I’ve muddled my way through some pretty narrow roads full of briars and downed trees. In those times of trials, those bumps were either small enough to get over, or I ended up having enough room to get turned around.
Until recently.
You may remember that last September I found myself unexpectedly in the hospital. Since then, I feel like I’ve been shoved into some old ghost town on an old movie set called “Medical Mystery Town”.
Been there? It’s where you know something isn’t quite right, but no matter how many doctors offices you sit in, they don’t seem to have any answers. Guesses, yes. Answers? Ummmm. No.
It resembles some poor soul walking down a dirt street on that old western movie set with a heavy weight attached to his ankle. I get what that must be like. Carrying around “I don’t knows” gets heavy.
I thought long and hard about writing about this. I’ve sat on it a looooong time. I wasn’t going to and I’ve kept it pretty quiet. But, I’ve changed my mind.
Last night I went to a place where I can let my hair down and connect with a kind of faith that transcends forces of the unseen. I was able to figurately stand and look that ghost town’s exit sign right in the eye. The place?
Holy Yoga.
I’m on restricted activities, so I can’t do the yoga at the moment, but that’s ok, I went for the lesson.
In that hour, cleansing tears flooded these cheeks as our instructor talked about a medical journey she experienced.
How crazy is it that on a random Sunday evening, at a class I wasn’t even supposed to go to according to the doctors, that HER experience spoke directly to me?
It was in those moments that it occurred to me, that my bumpy, full of pot holes medical journey, may help actually help someone else.
There are some beautiful views on this main road of life. Guess what? It turns out that there are some amazing scenic byways as well and they are on the signs clearly marked “Detour Ahead.”
Unmeasured Journeys 
It’s crazy the thing you can stumble upon out of nowhere. That’s a crazy coincidence. A great one. I really hope you get your answers soon!
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I love the word stumble. I’ve noticed myself saying it a lot lately. I knew the class would be what I needed, I just wasn’t sure exactly why. :) Thanks. Answers would clear some things up, but for some reason, they’re not in a hurry to get here.
Hey! You just gave me an idea for a post!
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Whatever road this detour leads to, my prayers follow you for understanding and guidance.. The second worst news about any illness is ” I don’t know” from the dr.. I hope the detour has light shed on what’s wrong, soon..
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Thank you so much. Those are the perfect prayers. Guidance is definitely needed, have hit sort of a brick wall as to which direction to go. :)
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Lots of healing thoughts and strength coming your way, I’ve been through a similar journey with the health of loved ones. Somehow those “holy yoga” moments really help bring us through.
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Thank you, Jenny. Your words bring me tons of comfort. I’m sure you can relate to how my husband, parents, and family feel. I can only imagine that they feel quite helpless because they there’s no answers for them either.
Mystery illnesses affect many. I’m very lucky to have a great support system with family, friends, and blogging friends like you. :)
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I know what you mean, Jessica, about all the detours, pot holes and bumpy roads we have to navigate over.Life is rarely straight forward. I’m sorry you’ve not been well and I really hope that gentle yoga helps you. Have faith, things generally happen for a reason and never stop believing that you will be well and whole, and that your journey can help someone else along the way. I’m glad you shared. Hugs to you Jessica.
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Hey sweet girl. Thank you for weighing in here. It felt a bit scary to put it “out there”. I love what you said about life is rarely straight forward. That’s pretty true, now that I think about it. Good point!
I’ll take those hugs and send some right back to you for your mum. How’s she doing?
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Oh Jessica, she’s on a down hill slide, but a slow one, which is so heart breaking to watch. Thank you for always asking about her.
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Oh, Miriam, I’m so sad to hear that. Is there anything I can do?
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Just you being there with your beautiful heart and kind thoughts is doing more for me than you could ever imagine. xo
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Ohhhh…. :)
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Hey Jessica, I wrote a post very similar to this today and I wondered whether I could link to your post from mine.
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Yes ma’am! I’d be HONORED. Bless you.
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My absolute pleasure.
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You’re very sweet.
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I love this article and your transparency. My pain and experience will help others one day!
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Hi there. I’d like to offer you a warm welcome. Thank you so much for reading my story. I truly appreciate your kind words. I love that you chose “transparency.” What a great word for laying it all out there.
I love that whatever the journey is, you’re willing to share it. Seems like in those moments of sharing lies the potential to possibly truly relate to someone in a similar boat. 😊
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Yes, similar boat is true but what I love is that others can put to words the pain I’ve gone through in ways I could never write! Blessings on you. I will continue to read your journey. It’s a gift that blesses others!
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Aww. How sweet you are. Thank you. I wrote a post recently called Enjoy the Ride. It’s about my year long mystery medical illness and lessons I’ve learned from it. 💜
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I will read it because I have learned that wisdom and compassion comes through enduring difficult experiences well. You can’t gain the knowledge and lessons from a book but from coming through it! Thank you
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Here’s a link if you’re interested. 💜 https://unmeasuredjourneys.com/2016/9/15/enjoy-the-ride/
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I will read it!
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Thank you! 😊
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I hope whatever you’re going through is going ok. Sending positive thoughts and healing thoughts your way… 🌸
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Your sweet Jessica! I receive!
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🌸💗🌷☀️
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I hope this will help you get closer to some answers. It’s incredibly frustrating when the “specialists” have no answers. Hang in there. Hugs. <3
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Thank you, dear friend! :) You are certainly right. :)
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It’s funny how we see our journey as something we alone have to transit, then when we get there, someone is already there, and they had the same problems! Just as you learn from them, you in turn can gain strength from them and pass some along to others following you. Hmmm, circle of life? ;)
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You said that beautifully. Thank you. :)
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