I had a bad
fall that left me in crutches for a while. I expected to heal quickly but alas,
it wasn’t meant to be. Many who have gone down that road would know exactly
what I am talking about - days of swelling, pain, misery and most of all
inconvenience.
Even though
my friends have nicknamed me Pollyanna, there was this anxiety gnarling within
me as to when I could walk unaided and I had to unhappily cross out all the
events that I had already signed up for and cancel all the appointments that I
had made
I fell on a
Tuesday, two days before my birthday.
My friends
had gone to great lengths to organise a surprise birthday party for me. They
had bought the ingredients, the decorations and even ordered the cake. The
theme was Caribbean and I could well imagine how much fun that would be. Sadly,
it had to be cancelled.
Learning how
to use crutches was a new ball game altogether. I learnt how to negotiate the
stairs on my derriere just as a baby would. The first time I reached the top of
the stairs, I just burst into tears. The whole experience was overwhelming.
Michael
doubled up as a male nurse and received in-house training. After a while
takeaways become boring and I longed for home cooked food. Seeing him look for
ingredients in the larder (while I gave instructions from the couch) was pretty
amusing. Being totally dependent on another for simple tasks was absolutely
frustrating.
There were
some things that I needed from certain parts of the house that were
inaccessible for someone on crutches, so I had to give exact locations as to
where the stuff was kept or hidden. I was astounded by my own memory power.
My children,
sister and friends called or wrote regularly to check on me. I used to be the
one visiting friends who were too ill to get out of bed and it was strange to
play a reverse role.
Reading was
my constant companion. I devoured every interesting piece of literary treasure
and emerged with a head full of facts as well as trivial stuff.
I learnt
compassion. I've seen how poorly some family members and hospital staff treat
elderly patients. I can well imagine how
they must have felt when these carers grumbled beneath their breath or shouted
at them. They did not ask to be old or sick.
I learnt
patience especially when dealing with people who are not physically fit. I
remember the times when I was in a rush and right in my path would be an old
lady with her Zimmer frame and I just wished she could quickly progress on. Not
any more.
I learnt how
to settle for less. I had just planted
out seedlings in the cold frame before I fell. Those who love gardening would
know that every stage is important and a good harvest depends on that. I could see the garden from the window but I
couldn't go out. I imagined the plants dying, one by one.
I learnt to
see things from a different perspective. Bruises looked like a painting on
canvas with colours changing with time - from red to purple to a sickly yellow.
Taking a break from crutches, I would be on all fours. I saw grit and dust from
a different level altogether.
Most of all
when I went on a trip to Petra and beyond, even with the wheelchair and
crutches in most places, I found that people were very kind. I had signed up a
few months earlier for a very memorable trip and I wasn’t going to throw in the
towel as yet. To my surprise, I was fussed over and received privileges that I
had never dreamt of, like being the first in line at the immigration counter. I
even had an airport staff retrieve my luggage at the carousel.
In every
situation, give thanks.
This article was originally printed in The New Straits Times Malaysia, 12 June 2016
http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/06/151345/giving-thanks-every-situation
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