Last week, about a day and a half into my work furlough, I tripped doing some “light” yard work. It was a bad trip. I twisted, I fell, it was too late for my hands to save me, so I landed on my forearms in the dirt in enough time so that my head didn’t crash into the brick edging, but my chin caught the corner of it. 

My kids were out back with me and my oldest sprang into action. “Mom, are you okay.” “No. Go get your Dad. And some ice.” Soon my husband was outside to help me get out of the planter while I held ice on my face. 

Embarrassed, lame, silly. I felt all those things (and yet it didn’t keep me from posting it on social media). I iced my face, my ankles, my neck, all of my back. I took some acetaminophen, I slept. The next morning new things hurt, and the morning after that another set of extra sore muscles were revealed. So I took it really easy for two days. And then I should’ve been back to normal. Except… 

 I have a pre-existing, permanent back injury. (Dramatic piano music here). So my road back to “normal” is a little more complicated. Instead of 2-3 days of nursing injuries, it will be closer to 3 weeks. At day 9 I’m finally able to do most of my already modified yoga routine, adding back in the strength moves. And yesterday I was able to walk around the block. It was slower than my pace before the fall, and it was just the block, and I was sore after. But I did it. And I will slowly keep building back up to where I was. 

The point of all this is - it takes patience. 

This was a setback.

I got hurt and the recovery isn’t as fast as I want it to be. I have to spend time getting back to where I was, before I can move beyond. It’s frustrating. It’s annoying. But, it’s the pace I need it to be. 

Pushing too hard too soon will put me in great pain. I know this because I’ve done it before (I’m a bit of a klutz). 

Recovery takes patience and perseverance. 

I suspect we can all relate to that on some level right now. 

Be patient. Persevere.