A few weeks ago, with my life scheduled to the max, I was thrown one of life’s curve balls. As my 81-year-old Aunt Mary predicted, “Sometimes just when you think life is going to zig, it zags and you just don’t have any choice in the matter. Funny because afterwards the change makes life turn out better than expected.”
I most certainly was shown that I needed to work on my own healing and become more courageous, creative, and resilient. Ultimately I needed to slow down and redirect my attentions to providing more of our resources online, share our research by utilizing technology, and build more networking and fundraising platforms (learn more about this later!)
Here’s how it happened and how I learned to smell the flowers and embrace the blessings in cards that were sent my way.
Of all the exciting and slightly dangerous adventures I have been on (like scaling mountains or mural scaffolding, hiking out, sailing Hobie Cats, skiing or scuba diving, horseback or motorcycle riding), it was most unexpected to have such a serious injury from tripping on the sidewalk (no, not by skateboarding with local youth). Yes, this corresponds with my belief that sometimes it really is the little things in life that are the most, dare I say, pivotal.
For almost a year, I planned numerous activities for this last month and wanted to tell all, not of my failure to walk across the street (well, actually I did get to our mandatory grant meeting before going to ER) but a string of fabulous successes, made all the more meaningful because of the outright perseverance and sheer determination of not only me but all the folks that have helped Art Sphere Inc. on the way.
Indeed, in the weeks and months before the fall, I kept thinking how great it would be to have a break from increasing workloads that have come with increasing success. Of course, I was thinking vacation but wouldn’t let myself have one, not even a mini one that might have included a day off.
But this was not to be. So with over 60 consecutive hours in the hospital, where I was often in too much pain to sleep, I sure was provided with a big break and quite a lot of time to ponder the questions I ask our youth: “How did you get here?” and “What can you learn from this?” Mostly though, I looked at the clock and just tried to keep my breathing in pace with the darn red second hand amid the moans of others in pain, truly the longest I have ever meditated.
It was right after this timeout that I got very clear.
Simply put, shattering my elbow forced me to be quiet enough to look at doing things with my arms, very differently. Suddenly I knew the obvious: I’d need to get a new perspective on ways Art Sphere Inc. outreaches to communities by learning to trust in the goodwill of others, practicing patience, and trying new things.
Have you ever had life zag when you thought it was going to zig?
How did you give yourself time to process it?
Who provides you with cards, caring words, and flowers when life zags? Who might appreciate a card from you?