Again, I don’t know how we slept, but we managed a few zzz’s. I couldn’t lie there anymore thinking about Sophia and our troubles, so I got up early. My stiff muscles ached from neglecting my workout routine for a few days. As I headed outside for yoga, something big and bright in my peripheral vision caught my eye. The money tree had finally grown! Its golden leaves shimmered, like coins, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I snorted and shook my head at the monstrosity. Though it stood before me, I still found it hard to believe such a thing could exist and fall into my lap. At least one thing in our lives went well; I silently thanked Dub for it.
I hadn’t struggled to do a yoga routine since my early days and felt like some of my newer students. My balance was off, and I wobbled all over the place. I couldn’t focus or get my breathing right. It had to be a test. My SimTube yogi heroes didn’t cancel their classes or not post a video when they had bad days. They figured out how to lean in and get through it. What kind of yoga instructor would I be if I didn’t practice what I preached? I needed to find my way to inner peace.
I closed my eyes and took a long, calming breath to quiet my mind and block out the internal noise. I concentrated on my core to regain balance. Though I didn’t exactly find peace within, my performance improved and I made fewer errors. Sophia came outside just as I was wrapping up and tended to the money tree. I felt the pressure of tears behind my eyes as I watched her water and pull weeds with such tenderness. She was so amazing. Even though I tried to hold us together and keep our eyes on the prize, I didn’t expect her to continue life as normal. I wouldn’t have thought twice if she decided to stay in bed all day and cry. But in the midst of her trial, she thought of me and the family we didn’t have yet. What an amazing woman.
