I have a call with my rectal surgeon today to talk about what’s next on the cancer journey. I’m a little anxious with good reason. The perfect time for a drive!
Today I went on a Sunday Drive even though it’s Monday.
I grew up in a rural area in the 70’s/80’s where the age-old tradition of Sunday Driving was still prevalent. I lived in the Bible belt, so everything was closed on Sundays which meant that people would go to church and then take a Sunday Drive through the country. Sunday driving=slow. You did not want to get stuck behind a Sunday driver if you had to be somewhere at a certain time. If you did get stuck behind one, you’d be late.
I love driving. The focus required by driving, particularly on curvy hilly roads, calms me down and allows the twisty thoughts to unwind. And today was a beautiful spring day- lots of green and purple and yellow. Lots of blue sky with wisps of white clouds. Delightful and good for the soul. I needed that today.
My mom taught me to drive on a stick shift Dodge Omni (yep- look that one up!) on rural roads when I was 14. I failed my driver’s test twice- blonde post-mod teenager meets old-school white-man sheriff-(we can talk about that later.) Learning to drive on that car was no joke. I’ve been through many different kinds of cars since then- right now I have a MINI Cooper named Gertie. She loves windy hilly roads as much I do.
Together we made our way through the Ozarks- saw tiny pet cemetery in someone’s yard, a mushroom farm, a classic Ozark Winery, and a whole lot of space to thrive.
I’m so grateful for that drive this morning. The act of driving allowed a little bit of softening and acceptance around the fact that surgery for me is more than probable. If you know me, you know that I believe that Acceptance is the key to all things- it allows us to make the best decisions possible, allows room for unexpected solutions, and gives us access to receiving joy in even the most difficult situations.
More to come! I’m still on a mini-hiatus:)
Love ya!
Jenni
PS: Love gifts or contributions to the Producer’s fund are still welcome!
Venmo: @jenni-tooley Zelle: jennitooley@gmail.com
You can also become a paid subscriber here: