Yesterday was one of those days! It seemed like everything I tried to do went wacko.
Indulge me in a short recap:
I did the home budget and that didn't look as good as I would have liked and I was struggling to come up with creative ideas. I tried to do a blog and could not log in. I spent half the morning trying to figure out a solution to no avail and ended up logging in through an alternative method. Then I went to the gym knowing the stress would be relieved while I was doing something good for the old body. During the first set of my second exercise I heard a horrible bunch of sounds as I went through what would be the last rep of the day. Correction, it would be the last rep for quite a while. The ugly, nasty, sounds I heard were all too well known to me as the sounds of stuff inside my left shoulder tearing. I dropped the handle and my hand went numb while the pain got my attention in a big way.
Why did I say "Sounds that were all too well known to me?" Well, that shoulder has been surgically repaired once, then torn again a year ago. I was forced to take a year away from the gym to let it heal as best it could and yesterday was tear number three. Hey, I thought good things came in threes? Or was it airplane crashes? In any event, by 12:30 PM my day had me turned upside down. I know it could be a lot worse but I had higher expectations for the day.
Today, I am sitting at the computer with my left arm perfectly placed to keep the shoulder pain to a minimum. I am typing quickly hoping I can finish this before it starts hurting too much but am confident I can make it thanks to the help of my friends, Mr. Aleve and Mr. Tylenol.
Anyhow, I mumbled a few phrases of frustration, walked to the coat rack, got my jacket and (in as manly a way as possible) walked out the door and to my car. Man that hurt! And every move that shoulder made reminded me I was again injured.
I got in the car and promptly called my wife to access some level of pity from her much depleted hubby booboo bank. Unfortunately, she was in a training session. I was in need of some expressions of "you poor thing" but was not having any luck. Then I thought "hey, let me call my daughter!" So I did and whined at her for as long as my left arm could hold the phone. I know I could use the other arm but it was busy. For all you police officers and driving instructors, I wasn't driving. Let's just go with the other arm was in use and leave it at that.
Okay, I am not a complete baby. You see, I fell on my motorcycle several years ago and over a four or five year period had both of my shoulders surgically repaired, two wrists, and one elbow. When I tore that shoulder a year ago, I toughed it out and it healed enough to use it fairly well. This time, I'm not yet sure how it will go. The point is, I know those surgeries and really don't want to have another one. Not to mention squeezing into an MRI again! Not a fan!
Anyway, my daughter did her best to comfort me. My pain was eased and I was encouraged. She went about her day and I went scrounging for some Aleve and the ice pack. I grabbed the remote with my right arm, it was too heavy for my left arm. I sat on the couch, turned on the old mind numbing TV (mind numbing was exactly what I needed at that point) and slowly drifted off to sleep. About forty minutes later, my cell phone rang. It was my daughter calling to make sure it was okay if she stopped by and to advise me she was only a couple minutes from the house.
"Of course" was my answer and we hung up. Realizing the time and the distance she had to drive to be here so soon, she must have thought, "Hold everything, I am going to see dad," and she did. In a couple minutes I heard the back door open and in she came with a bag and her daughter.
Our granddaughter is the best medicine for anything that could possibly ail you and as usual, she was full of everything that makes granddaughters so special. My daughter brought some food gift coupons she had purchased and one of my favorite treats - a small pecan pie. She was concerned, positive, and encouraging. A bit later, she went with my wife to get a few groceries - perhaps they thought I would be homebound for a while. Then my daughter helped me with the budget and gave me some really good ideas. Something not so good sparked a series of events that were very good and even tasty. MMM I do like pecan pie!
A few hours later, the kids left and I felt greatly encouraged, but even more than that I felt loved. I know she had a lot on her "To-Do" list for the day, yet she simply changed the top of the list to read Friday instead of Thursday. How often do we dare change our plans these days? How often can we put aside our never ending lists of chores and to-dos to use the time for someone else?
We write about love in so many ways but from what I experienced yesterday, dropping whatever you are doing or planning is a great expression of love. Setting aside plans or even canceling things to just be there to make someone feel a bit better is near angelic.
After they left, it didn't matter how much my shoulder hurt, I was filled with a feeling that was bigger than the pain. In fact, the pain seemed quite minimal. She gave of her plans and time to spend time with her dad who was confronted with another episode of the repercussions of dad's "trying to get old as slowly as possible" plan. Her gift of spending time with me did what she wanted it to. It made me feel much better. It was far beyond the magic of chicken noodle soup and as small as it might seem, it will be a day I will remember for a long time.
We talk about investments and returns on a myriad of things but you know, doing something that maybe seems kind of small, delivered great big benefits on her investment. Being the receiver of that investment has motivated me to be more open to those around me and opportunities when I can do the same thing.
At times we struggle to show and express our love for family or friends. At times even the desire to show others that they mean a great deal to us never crosses our minds. The world has got us so self focused it is hard to find even a moment to look around and see if someone could use something we have, like our time. We are checking our lists, staring at our computers, texting and emailing so often that we may miss opportunities around us to tell someone they are important and loved. My daughter did and I am extremely grateful and touched by her expression of love for her old dad. Thanks honey. So, I have two words for you, "Hold Everything" and see what happens.