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I Wanted to Be in the Best Shape of My Life at 60. Then I Lost My Leg.

By The Artful Woman
  Before my accident, I kept saying the same thing to myself: I want to be in the best shape of my life when I turn 60. I meant it. I was hiking, walking, going to the gym. I was building strength in my body and imagining a future where I kept getting stronger, not weaker. Then the accident happened. I was still 59. I turned 60 in a hospital bed. I lost a leg. I fractured my other leg in multiple places. I broke ribs. I had vertebrae injuries. My body went into heart and kidney failure. Pain became constant, not occasional. Everything I thought I was building… was suddenly gone. And for a long time, I couldn’t understand something: If I was focusing on health, strength, and vitality… how did I end up here? I used to think maybe I did something wrong. Maybe I thought wrong. Maybe I “manifested” the wrong thing. But I’m starting to see something different now. Life isn’t a formula where good thoughts guarantee safe outcomes. Bodies exist in a world where accidents happen, s...
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Letting Go, Finding the Way

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By The Artful Woman
Sometimes, I feel stuck, weighed down by things that hold me back. But when I break free, when I release that grip, that's when I catch glimpses of what could be. It's like seeing a new path emerge from the fog.


Holding on – clinging to my own way instead of trusting the bigger picture – only keeps me from reaching those possibilities. It's in letting go that I discover the amazing things that are waiting for me.


Musings and photos by Jean


Sunset Photography by Jean Marshall



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Location: Dana Point, CA, USA

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Survivor of Ortega Highway Head-On Collision Speaks Out on Life-Altering Injuries, Recovery, and Road Safety Awareness

By The Artful Woman
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Walking Through Fear While My Life Is Still Unstable

By The Artful Woman
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I fiercely protect my energy — and let me tell you why.

By The Artful Woman
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When Trauma Breaks Your Reality, You Start Questioning Everything

By The Artful Woman
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