“Don’t be a hero, Kelly. Make sure to rest and let people help you.”
My dad gave me this advice just about three weeks ago when I called to inform him of my broken foot. It couldn’t have happened at a more inconvenient time: it was just two days before our week-long recording session with our evening mass choir. How was I supposed to get myself up the many (37 to be precise) steps to the choir loft every night? The nurse practitioner was not pleased when I told her I wouldn’t be able to “take it easy” and “keep off the stairs” as she had requested of me.
I pride myself on being a rather independent person. I’m used to doing things for myself. Suffice to say these last few weeks have been a lesson in humility. Until I went to the hospital and got crutches, I couldn’t walk unassisted. I was hopping on one foot while clinging for dear life onto another person’s arm in the hopes I wouldn’t fall. For the first few days, once I got upstairs I stayed upstairs. If I forgot something I wanted downstairs, I would either have to do without or I would have to ask someone (if anyone was around) to grab it for me. I quickly became frustrated with the situation.
Not everything was bad. I got to see the simple kindness of humanity when people would encounter me hobbling along. My friends were already extremely generous with their time and help and they have continued to be. The kind actions of strangers, though, helped me see Christ more fully in others. Little old ladies who probably could have used some help of their own were quick to make sure people stepped aside the few times I took public transportation to make sure I made it onto the Luas safely. People went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and I appreciated every moment of those interactions.
Now that I’ve had the walking boot for three weeks, I’m much more mobile and I have since abandoned the crutches. I still take longer than most to walk somewhere, but anything is an improvement. While it’s been slow-going, I’ve come to appreciate the break this injury has forced me to take. It’s easy to get caught up in every little thing day to day. Because I couldn’t do much the first couple of weeks, I had to be intentional with what I could do. I had to be more present and give of myself all that I could. I would joke to others, saying, “This is my cross to bear for the next few weeks.” But, there was a bit of truth to that statement. I had to surrender myself to the wills of others so that I could get to where I needed to be and do what needed to be done. I certainly wouldn’t want to break my foot if I had the option to do it all over again, but I know I’ve learned some important lessons because of it and I appreciate it all the same.
