When the flesh is weak

Monday...
What a great day.  I have an appointment to have my shoulder looked at as it has been giving me pain for the last two weeks.  Getting old I guess...the shoulder, not me.  I am still young.  People always comment how I don't look my age, probably they mean don't act my age.  I guess there are those times when the body just has to tell you in a not so subtle voice that you need to be more courteous and considerate of it (your body that is).
I keep thinking of those t-shirts that say 'Pain is weakness leaving the body'.  Okay, so my weakness has been leaving my body for the better part of the last two weeks and I am having serious doubts that I have that much weakness in me to start.
So, how does this relate to Aikido?  Well, obviously, I'm going to have to start listening to Sensei and use my body to move as moving my arm isn't that convenient.  Makes me wonder what else he has been saying that I'll have to listen to?  But, the point that I'm stumbling around is that even with a bad shoulder, wrist, ankle, back(well maybe not) or other injury, Aikido can be looked at as moving with the flow of your own body.
Relax and feel what is resistant and don't fight it...it could be yourself that you are resisting.

How missing a practice is a practice.

As I walked away from my work towards my car for the five minute drive towards mental relaxation, I noticed my phone ringing.  It's hard to not notice something like that when you don't turn the ringer off.  Anyway.  I answered, as it was my wife, and the tone of her voice let me know, to my initial chagrin, that I would be missing practice that afternoon.
Her parents were in from out of town and would be visiting for the next week.  I caught her explanation, between my internal mumbling, that they wanted to really see me and that they were tired from the flight.  Anyway...
Mumble, mumble, grumble.
How would missing practice benefit them?
How would missing practice benefit me?
Then, I thought about it from the energy perspective...get behind it.  Don't oppose. (Especially when the energy is coming from your wife, she knows where you sleep and when you eat.  Very important.)

The actions, or reactions, that we choose everyday can be aikido.  The more we look at life as a flow and see that we can choose to get behind the energy and smile as it carries us on, sparring ourselves the struggle, we can see that the smile we have on our faces is genuine.  No struggle, no fight.  Practice would be back next week.

I know that most people won't think that this really qualifies as a practice of aikido, but have you ever felt the sharp stares of an angry woman?  They hit VERY hard.