One Year

I honestly can't remember what I was thinking of or doing. All I know is that I was NOT really concentrating on the slope or my speed.

Suddenly, the hill dropped away and I was falling....rolling.The rest....is history!

Since the accident, I have learned a lot of things, and it really opened up a whole new phase of life for me.
Some excerpts from my mental notepad on this occasion:

1) I have a lot of things to be thankful for. The rest of me works most of the time, and I have a pretty continual reminder to pray when it starts to hurt.

2) I am saved from being addicted to movies. I know this sounds funny, bu whenever I see actors and actresses gallivanting around the screen and jumping, rappelling, running, climbing...I wait to see if they will land wrong and break their ACL. I cannot get rid of the premonition. Once burned, forever shy, I guess.

3) People are forgetful and sinful. (Maybe a better title would be "Forgiveness") I have lost track of the amount of times that people have forgotten about it (it isn't very obvious like a missing limb would be...) and have asked me to do things, or expected me to respond or come swiftly and I do not (cannot!) deliver. What is worse is that even after I remind them about my knee they rarely show remorse for being forgetful and unreasonable. (They are more annoyed than ever, what really gets to me is many people say I'm just "trying to get out of work".)

4) Constant reminder of my own frailty and mortality. Yes, constant. Even when it does not specifically pain me, it reminds me of it's condition. I am decaying. Some day I will be able to run and not grow weary.

5) On the topic of running, I actually tried it a couple days ago. (Well, I guess it depends on your definition.) My little hop-trot for the first time in a year felt like running! I really didn't miss it...

6) God always presents new challenges when you grow stagnant. The "leg incident" changed a lot of things that I thought "normal", and because of it I was given a gift that I treasure above all.
It has been one year. A year of change and pain, filled with new heights of wonder, joy, peace and knowledge.

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.