I cannot believe how quickly this month has gone by, even if it is a shorter month. I know that technically we still have a week left, but I'm sure it'll fly, too, besides which Carolyn is hosting our monthly One Little Word link-up this week.
Growth made itself known in an unexpected way this month. You know that old saying, "You're only as old as you feel"? In the past week or so, I've been reminded by my actual age. I frequently feel like I'm still in my 20s and am not yet a responsible adult. Yet my body occasionally likes to remind me that I'm actually middle-aged. Last week, I wasn't paying enough attention to what I was doing and slid down some of our steps. It could have been much worse: The steps I slid down were just the three that go to a landing, and because there's a 180-degree turn to the rest of the flight, I stopped there. I didn't hit my head. But I did land on the corner of a step on my back, and I was in a lot of pain when it happened. I was able to drive myself to the urgent care center (which is just around the corner from our house), where they took x-rays and determined that nothing was broken and I had just given myself a bad bruise. I was still able to go for my daily walk that day, in fact, though I was certainly a little slower and had to be careful about how I moved. And it's been getting better every day, though I still get a twinge when I do things like sneeze (isn't that a joy of aging, when you can hurt yourself from sneezing?).
What this little mishap has taught me is that although I am someone who is regularly physically active and who is taking steps to ensure that I am capable of doing everything I want to physically as I get older, aging is not something I can ignore. I may be more fit and flexible than others my age, but I'm working with a 40-year-old body that doesn't recover as fast as it used to. And as I get older, there is the possibility that a fall could do some serious damage, so perhaps I need to be a little more careful about things like going down the steps. I guess you could say my growth this month has been in the form of better self-awareness and in learning to be more gentle with myself. It can be a hard lesson to learn, but I'm glad that learned it this way rather than through something more serious!
How has your One Little Word shown up this month?
This is good and necessary growth, no matter how much we want to deny it. I've fallen down stairs, tripped up stairs, banged my knees and bruised my back often enough to realize that tripping and slipping are painful and dangerous. Now I pay more attention to what I'm doing and how I'm moving. Congratulations on your growth through a lesson!
ReplyDeletethose are great lessons to learn at 40 ... I'm just now learning to be super careful about the stairs (holding on as I go down) AND about looking where I'm going ... also, I realize I now have to rest through any injuries, instead of working through them like I could when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteFalling definitely gets trickier as we age, it's smart to learn to slow down a bit. And practice Kym's rise/stand test every day!
ReplyDeleteOh, Sarah! I'm so sorry you had a little tumble, and I'm glad you didn't hurt yourself in a serious or long-lasting way. Sometimes we get to choose our word-lessons . . . but sometimes those lessons just find us! Take care of yourself. And keep moving! (Tom always tells me "motion is the lotion." He's right about that -- once we determine it's not the type of injury that requires rest.) XO
ReplyDeleteI am sympathetic to this reality. I have recently learned that flip flops are not a good footwear option when herding a toddler!
ReplyDeleteOh, Sarah! Yikes! I am so sorry about this little accident and I am so happy you were not hurt more seriously!
ReplyDeleteI am sure this is not how you wanted your word to show up this month... but gosh what great lessons (for all of us!)
It's interesting how the 40s seem to be the decade for this awareness. (I'm with you! Just a few years older...1975) It's a helpful decade of preparation, I think, to set a stage for how we want to age. And I'm so grateful to be in community with women who are doing it in smart, inspiring ways--and who are so generous to share themselves here.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the breadth of your word, Sarah!
Oh dear! I'm sorry to read this post Sarah and I hope your back continues to feel better. I've noticed for me that not only sneezing, but coughing is not bothering my back. It's amazing how often your back muscles come into play just doing normal every day things! Take care and go gently!!
ReplyDeleteSarah! I'm so glad you're okay. I slipped on our stairs a couple of years ago and was lucky to be able to walk it off. I'm glad you made sure you were okay by visiting Urgent Care and were able to carefully take your walk as usual.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking a lot about how to incorporate daily exercise into my life for the last few years. Having a special needs child has me thinking more about needing to be on my toes for years to come (and beyond???!) and I want to make sure I can move the way I need to. And, of course, make sure I'm doing everything I can to live as long as possible!
(Also, I pee a little bit every time I sneeze. Darn it, childbirth!)
Ouch. That fall sounds like it hurt. Some lessons are just more painful than others. I'm not sure this is how you wanted to grow this month but at least it wasn't a serious injury. Take good care.
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