Your Legs are a Gift... USE THEM!

Our bodies are a gift. Yet for those of us who are fortunate enough to have functioning bodies--- this is a gift we all too often overlook. I mean, really, when was the last time you looked at your legs? No, I mean really looked at them--- looked at them with wonder, joy, and amazement for all of the things they can do. Walk, run, dance, jump, skip, leap, frolic, stretch, squat, kick, lunge, tiptoe... and so much more! It's astonishing when you stop to think about it... these mechanical powerhouses that move us about in this world. I know, I know... you're probably sitting there thinking "they're just legs, Melissa. everyone's got a pair."

But the truth is--- not everyone does. Not everyone has been gifted with a pair of functional legs. I know this hard truth firsthand, because my own grandmother was wheelchair-ridden far too early in her life. She struggled with illness the majority of her life, and she spent more years in a wheelchair than years out of one. She was, however, a remarkable woman, and while she was not blessed with the ability to use her legs for much of her life--- instead, she was blessed with an innate inner strength, a pure heart filled with love, and many people around her to support her.

My grandmother... I love her and miss her more than anything!

She has been an inspiration for me, and she's motivated me throughout my life. Today, I wanted to share that same inspiration and motivation with you all as well. When she was young, my grandmother loved to dance--- and when she no longer could, she never complained about it. She didn't bitch or moan or whine. Rather, she learned to dance with her spirit, her heart, and her soul instead. And I know, in my heart of hearts, that she is in heaven right now--- looking down on me. So I dance for her (yes, that video is of me!), and I run for her. I live for her, and I love for her. I do all of these things for her--- because of her.

My challenge to you today is this: use your legs. They are a precious gift to you, so do not allow yourself to take them for granted one more day. Use them. To walk. To dance. To run. Something, anything, everything. And feel grateful for it--- because no matter what you choose to do, no matter how big or how small, you are doing something that not everyone out there can do.