Kicking and Punching and Screaming

Sunday was a hard day. It would have been a wedding anniversary - I guess technically, it still is... we just don't celebrate.

Things were going fine until my turn to interpret the last part of the sermon. The pastor had been talking about Abram/Abraham and his call to leave his home. When I stood, he explained that call a little further with these words: "Forsake the past, focus on the Divine". My mentor snickered aloud.

She knew about the wedding the day before, and God's rather in-my-face presence there. She knew the significance of the present day. We both picked up on the "perfect timing" of this sermon.

My response wasn't nearly as amused. Especially after my failed errand run immediately following church.

After the wedding reception, we swung by a sports shop and picked up the kicking/punching training bag I wanted. I got it home and began to fill the base with water, when I realized it was cracked.

Our attempt to return it was in vain. They didn't have one in stock. Nor did their competition.

I planned to work some drills from my Karate/MMA class.... with the bag. I felt defeated.

I couldn't eat the feelings away, nor could I kick/punch them away.

I spent what was left of our afternoon in a minimalist mode. I had plenty to do, but no energy to do it. I elected to rest for the hour before our small group meeting that evening.

Returning home, I felt a little refreshed, and realized.... I still had my gloves. I still had the blow up punching bag I'd bought for the kids. I could focus on accuracy rather than power. So I did.

I worked some kicking drills and some punching drills. I enlisted the help of my daughter to call our random numbers between 1 and 4. With each number, I threw the punch combination that was associated with it.

I yelled and I kicked and I punched.

My daughter laughed.

It is good medicine.