Why You Should Work Shoulders While At The Gym

"We all have a destiny in accordance to the breadth of our shoulders. My shoulders are broad."

                                                                      -Placido Domingo-

This quote embodies my life lately. It's as if my destiny decided the past two weeks were perfect for testing just how much I can take, like "hmm... this girl has had it good for a while. Let's throw everything we have at her and see what she does."

We have all been there - the curled up in bed, perpetually crying and hurting all over days. Or the angry for no reason at all except for you simply exist days. Or the days where those closest to you feel like strangers and no matter how hard you try to fake that smile you feel like the very center of your being is rebeling against you, screaming "STOP FAKING, BITCH, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU'RE MISERABLE!" It becomes not only a heavy burden on your shoulders but a wet, woolen coat that wraps itself around you like a straight jacket you can't shake. It strangles you and seeps into you until it becomes you, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. No matter how many people try and help you shrug it off, it's your new permanent accessory.

We have also all made it through these times. We have come out on the other side, into the sunshine where that wet coat slowly dries out. It becomes a little easier to move, every day it's feeling lighter. Then it gets too warm inside the coat, and you're sweating from the thick wool and you're itchy and irritated and you realize this coat is interfering with your tanlines. With your sunny day. Your happiness. Your life!

So you do it. You shuck that coat like a dead corn husk and leave it behind. Forgotten. Left in a dirty, grey pile somewhere far away while you enjoy your sunny, wonderful life. You hardly remember what made you put the coat on in the first place, and even if you do, it's more like you're wearing an itchy sweater or a too-tight scarf for a fleeting moment before you're back enjoying your own sunny, warm, wonderful life.

I'm not going to go into detail about my own coat. I am also not looking for pity or condolances, but instead hoping that my words will help someone shed their own heavy coat they've been wearing for a while. Or start to dry it out. Or at least let them know they won't be wearing it forever, just like I know my situation is only temporary. Sometimes you just need to hear it from someone outside your situation or see it written down in front of your face to realize there is an end and you will be okay. YOU WILL BE OKAY. WE WILL ALL BE OKAY.

So go ahead, destiny - keep it coming. My shoulders are not only wide, but they are strong, and will handle whatever you've got.