Wholeness can only be found through the shadow. The dark places lead us to the light. Five weeks are coming to a close in this rehabilitation hospital. My heart is finding harmony since surgery on March 1 – which I will from now on celebrate as my birthday – thanks to the sensitive, wide-ranging, challenging therapy program here in Bad Ischl. Swimming, hiking, fitness training, massage, psychologists, yoga, ergometer – how many kilometers do I have behind me? I could hardly walk to nearby Cafe Zauner without being dizzy, when I got here before Easter. A few days ago, I climbed quite a steep path to Sirius Kogel to enjoy…

I have been back home now for a few days to reconnect with my family and the beauty of spring in my Pulkautal. My heart feels different, lighter, quicker … we are getting to know each other again. In addition many new challenges are emerging after my life-changing heart surgery. As a result, I often feel simply exhausted in this phase of healing. Often I can´t figure these things out or don´t have the energy to deal with them. Here I remind myself, this is the time when real growth is happening. This means, especially, when no solution seems possible right now. Like an exhausted wet baby bird breaking through…