The Cartwheel That Reminded Me Who I Am
I Did a Cartwheel Yesterday (And It Meant More Than You Think)
I did a cartwheel yesterday. Actually, I did two.
When was the last time you did a cartwheel? Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I still could. Part of me was bracing for a crash landing. I thought my arms might give out, or I’d end up in a heap of limbs and regret.
But... I did it. Not just without injury, but with a touch of grace, even. It felt surprisingly good. My 16-year-old son was mortified (which made it even more satisfying), but my daughter and my trainer were cheering me on. That cartwheel? It happened on my son’s 16th birthday. And while I won’t say how old I am, let’s just say my mom definitely wasn’t doing cartwheels at this age (no offense, Mom!).
And it hit me: I felt genuinely happy. Not in a flashy way - just a simple, joyful “I-can’t-believe-I-still-got-it” kind of way. And these days, it’s those little things that matter most.
Nearly five years ago, I started what I call a wellness journey.
At the time, my main goal was weight loss.. but deep down, I wanted more than that. I wanted a life upgrade. I’d just come up for air after a painful divorce. I’d been living in survival mode, focused entirely on my kids, barely moving my body, barely nourishing myself.
Yes, I told myself I was doing it for longevity, energy, strength... but I secretly hoped to be the next Adele and drop 100 pounds in a year. That didn’t happen. And honestly? That’s been the gift.
My journey has been slow. Intentional. Sometimes frustrating. I started moving more - thanks to my trainer, boxing coach, and solo workouts. I stopped eating the leftover chicken nuggets and actually cooked for myself again. I focused on protein and greens. I tried to do it all "right," but the results weren’t instant. And that forced me to confront a deeper truth:
It took me years to get to where I was, physically and emotionally. Why would I expect to undo all that in twelve months?
That’s when I stopped pushing and started listening. I began to give myself grace.
And here’s the deeper layer: this wasn’t just about dropping pounds. It was about releasing emotional weight, too. I’d done a lot of trauma healing before I could even begin the physical work, but the body doesn’t lie. My healing had to be embodied. It had to be gentle. It had to be whole.
I had to let go of outcomes and move with presence. Day by day. Step by step. Spiral by spiral, because healing, I’ve learned, isn’t linear. It comes in waves. Sometimes soft, sometimes messy, sometimes in the form of a cartwheel.
The biggest shift?
I remembered that I actually love moving my body. I love feeding it well. I always have, long before I stopped listening to myself.
This hasn’t been about becoming someone new. It’s been about coming home to who I already am.
So yeah... I did a cartwheel yesterday. But really? I remembered I’m strong. I remembered I’m playful. I remembered that I still surprise myself.
And that (more than any number on a scale) is worth celebrating.
Want to build your own capacity for joy and playfulness? Watch my guided meditation "Cultivating Joy & Playfulness | 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Healing" on YouTube. Let's practice anchoring in the good stuff together.
You deserve to remember what lights you up.
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