A chance to practice Mindfulness

2025 finally broke me; a clean foot fracture that requires a cast and crutches. Sigh

20 years ago I fractured my leg while hiking. We were finishing a multi-day adventure and had 1.5 miles to go and I tripped on a root. We were about to cross a river, so I dropped my pack and hobbled to the bank and pulled my boot off, gritted my teeth and stuck my foot in the cold water. A now-familiar hissing in my ears and tunnel vision kicked in and I remember hanging my head and hoping I didn’t black out. I didn’t. My partner took on what he could of my pack contents and I assured him I was fine and could carry the rest (I’ll say here that I thought it was a bad sprain, not a break). Once in the car we stopped for some frozen peas and drove to the ER.

My current fracture was due to simply falling down. One moment I was walking down the sidewalk with a friend and the next I was on the ground with a skinned elbow, a slightly dented phone, and a stabbing pain in the bottom of my foot. Did this stop us from getting the homemade ice cream that had been the whole point of the trip? Not at all. I enjoyed my peach ice cream in a waffle cone knowing that there was a good chance it would be my last day in a while of feeling carefree.

Being on crutches at 53 is mighty different than being on them at 33. But I am managing and have a brigade (a friend’s word, not mine) of folks jumping in to help. Thankfully I work from home, and given the temperature and air quality I am okay just staying in 😊 be well, everyone!