Full Stop
#SongsOfComfort
Three weeks ago, running from an ‘over’ to a ‘next,’ I completely bypassed the hammock and tripped over the corner of Mobi’s dog bed on our lanai and fell hard and fast on the stone floor. My pelvis cracked in two places. I didn’t know that at the time, but the only other time in my life that I felt that much pain in my pelvis was when David was born into the world right through it. That time and this, I could hear the spirit of my beloved midwife grandmother whispering, “When you feel pain in your body, it’s a challenge. The secret to getting through a challenge is to open your mind wide enough so you can also feel all the places in your body that are not in pain. Then open it even more and think of all the other people in the world who, in that very moment, are also hurting so you won’t feel so alone. As you heal, enjoy the growing comfortfor them as well as for yourself.”
I’ve been spending a lot of moments in the hammock Norman Lear speaks of, as has Andy, who has been taking care of both of us. He has believed me into healing as I’ve transitioned from wheelchair, to walker, and now to walking sticks. At first my mind habitually turned to all the mistakes I had made that caused my pelvis to crack in two places. But the last twelve months have taught me that what causes rupture within and between us is not what or who is wrong. Rather it’s ignoring all that could be possible. That’s what hammocks are for!
Andy and I both wish you many sweet wide moments of exploration.