Injury’s Silver Lining

Categories: Family Drama, Hamstring Injury, Holiday Stress, Mother-In-Law, Running

It’s been a trying couple of days.
Last night:
Thing 1: “Mom the lights on the tree outside are sparking.” Screams. “Now they’re on fire!”
This morning:
I got an email telling me Thing 2 spent $100 on iTunes for Bakery Doodle coins. Wait it gets better:
I entered the password without looking to see what she was buying when she asked so it’s all. My. Fault.
The topper:
I get to share a house for the better part of next week with none other than Hurricane MIL. At best there will be devastation in her wake. Pray we survive.

Here’s the silver lining
Injuries have a way of helping us see and be grateful for things we didn’t necessarily notice before.

Even though I’m still getting the barbed-wire pain for awhile when I run, I feel like the angry hamstring is progressing nicely.
Once the pain passed yesterday, I felt like I was flying out there.
I assure you I was not. I was nothing short of giddy with delight though.

Plus it was 48 degrees at a time of year when it could easily be zero. It was overcast and windy but also joyful, peaceful, hopeful and, dare I say it? I may have even felt STRONG! That strong run was enough to neutralize the Christmas light fire, the iTunes fiasco and even the prospect of Hurricane MIL and her impending doom.

I’m just so darn grateful to run at all. At any pace.
Time will tell, but yesterday, I think I heard the trees whispering “You’re on the comeback trail.”

I’m grateful:

• For voodoo hamstring therapy.
• For strong wind. Because I grow stronger by running against it.
• That we caught the fire yesterday before the whole neighborhood burned down.
• That Hurricane MIL doesn’t live closer. Although sometimes I’m strong enough to withstand hurricanes. And survive. Thrive even.
• That even Category 5 hurricanes eventually weaken and drift out to sea.