Patience, humility, gratefulness, and sensitivity – that is what the last few weeks have taught me.

Four weeks ago I was walking both Logan and Katelyn to the park when I stepped off of a Bangkok side walk just the wrong way.  Two torn ligaments and a hospital visit later, I was in a cast – and largely immobile – for three weeks.  It’s a rare moment when I feel low – but this, my friends – this put me at my lowest of lows.

I know it’s extremely cliche, but it’s true:  you don’t really fully appreciate what you have until it’s gone.  And with my mobility gone for several weeks, so was my ability to play with the children, be outside, and live life the way I’m used to living it.  For someone who is out of the house ninety percent of the day, that is a big deal.  For someone who loves to run with, play with, and swim with kids, that is a big deal.  For someone who thrives on taking the kids to do new and interesting things around the city, that is a big deal.  With a cast on, my daily life was turned upside down and it was extremely frustrating and upsetting for me.  I can only imagine what it must feel like to deal with a more serious or permanent injury.

But now my cast is off and I’m wearing an ankle support for a few months.  My mobility is returning and I can keep up with Logan and Katelyn more easily than before.  And now that I can actually drum up the inspiration to write again (did you notice I have not updated in a few weeks?), I want to share with you what taking one wrong step taught me:

1. Patience.  As someone who is always on the go, this accident slowed me down – waaayyyy down.  The immobility taught me to be more patient with myself, more patient with my children, more patient with tantrums, more patient with meal times, more patient with bath time, more patient with bed time, more patient with my husband.  And you know what?  Being more patient has made life so much more enjoyable.  While I was in my cast,  this article made it’s way around the web and it couldn’t be more apropos to the situation – The Day I Stopped Saying ‘Hurry Up’.

2. Gratefulness.  Grateful to God that he has given everyone in my family good health.  Grateful to my husband that he is such a wonderful father and can pick up the slack when I am incapable of doing much.  And grateful that I can spend all day – every day – with my children.

3. Humility.  In my 34 years on the planet, I have never had an accident that has impaired me physically.  This was the first.  And I learned just how quickly a small thing can change a big part of your life.

4. Sensitivity.  Yes, I think this incident has caused me to be more sensitive towards others who have been – or are – injured in a similar way.  But more than that it showed me the sensitivity in my three-year old son.  Every morning when he woke up, his first words to me were – “Are you still hurt, Mommy?”  And every time I picked him up at school – “Are you still hurt, Mommy?”  And every time he walked in the door from playing outdoors, “Are you still hurt, Mommy?”  He would bring me my cane, bring me food, bring me water, buy me flowers on the street, share his toys with me, forgo active play and lie with me on the bed so that I could read to him for hours.  I learned that my son is a very sensitive soul – and for that, I am very grateful.  And Katelyn?  Well, let’s just say she needs a little work in the sensitivity category, but then I guess she is only 15 months old.

I’m so thankful to be on the mend, I’m so thankful to be able to do more with my family, and I’m so thankful to be writing again.  Expect more from me soon.  Until then . . .