The Fracture Chronicles

Life lessons can be painful.

I was "Groovin' on a Sunday Afternoon", washing my car in the sun, when I stepped on a coil of hose, throwing me backwards.  I stopped the fall with my right hand, fracturing a bone in my wrist.  In five seconds, I broke the first bone of my 64 years.  Twelve days later, on the summer solstice, I had surgery to fix the damage.

Be mindful.  That is the first lesson of this experience.   Don't let the hose be a disorganized mess just waiting to trip you.  This is a metaphor for any undertaking, small or grand: Pay attention.  Be present.  Don't be careless.

Now for the post surgery lessons:  Very little is essential.  What is important becomes crystal clear.
First, family.  My beautiful daughter is returning from 9 months in Europe late next week, and it will be fabulous to have her back in hugging range.

Emily in Toledo, Spain

Can I have her room as clean and welcoming as I intended?  Probably not. Will she know how much I love her, how much I've missed her? 
Claro que si!

What else really matters?  Great friends, with whom many summer adventures will continue to unfold.  Camping, dancing, blues festival, lovely dinners al fresco - my wrist won't interfere with any of that.  I can boogie to Silent Disco at Laurelhurst Park with my brother Steve.  I can weed and pick vegetables and flowers with my left hand.   I can type - slowly - with my working fingers, so I can write.  I can hang out with my wonderful son Alex, his girlfriend Emily, and Tater Tot, their adorable Corgi.  I can spend time in my yard with my partner, Tim.  I can absorb  the life lessons within this experience.

Wooden Shoe tulip festival, OR

 

  And it's summer! - blue skies, balmy temperatures and flowers, a feast of color, shape and scent to delight the senses.  From tulip festivals to my own garden, nature heals and nourishes me in  powerful ways, and it's lusciously opulent in this season.

My vegies

What's not important?

The list of projects that is always on my  desk. Whether the house is clean or the yard is tidy.  The things that I normally would do that are hard for me right now. 

I am grateful to have two hands and a healthy body that can heal.  I am grateful for all the things I can do.  I am learning.

Hiking in the Cinque Terre with Emily,
January 2019