Three weeks into 2019 and every day I have been thinking of my word for this year, IMAGINE. Last night I found myself imagining what it would be like to start blogging again. Today I decided to find out! I actually FOUND my blog here and will see if I can remember how to publish this post.
I chose "imagine" because I turned 67 on the day after Christmas. Unfortunately, on Christmas day at Garner Ranch, I managed to injure my right knee. It was snack time at my sister's home and I was in charge of snacks. So I went over to our house across the compound and packed a couple of grocery bags with cheese, crackers, sour cream, chips and salsa. It was snowing so I decided not to go down the front steps. Instead, I turned right just outside the front door and walked along the covered porch to the three really steep steps at the side of the house. While negotiating the final step, my left knee suddenly buckled and to stop from falling on my face, I managed instantly to maneuver my stiff right down onto the pavement, but it hit hard and something popped in my knee. Pain shot up from my foot to my thigh, but somehow I didn't drop any food. Regaining my balance, I hobbled over to the other house and made the appetizers. But I knew I wasn't in good shape physically.
Over the next few hours, my knee swelled up to the point where I needed my husband, Gary, to practically carry me back to our house. Without any pain pills, I didn't sleep at all. We had to say an early farewell to our family, cutting our holiday visit short by two days. My birthday was celebrated at the ER with a diagnosis of a dislocated knee that had thankfully put itself back together, but left me in pain with a cane for the next 10 days into the new year.
As I sat on the sofa just before New Year's Eve, knee elevated and binge-watching "This is Us," I began reflecting on how many holiday seasons I've spent sad, sick or laid up and out of commission. German measles hit me on Chrismas Eve in 1969. I had the flu at least 10 holiday seasons, including 2017. One year I broke up with a boyfriend and spent the holidays in my room, crying, which made me recall a few awful holidays grieving over the loss of loved ones. And suddenly a voice in my head screamed, "STOP! You're watching too much depressing 'This is Us' and you need to imagine something better happening right now. I grabbed the remote and switched to a college football game.
There aren't as many holiday seasons left in my life now to waste them being injured, sick, lonely or depressed. I'm committed to enjoying the week between Christmas and New Year's Day in joy, peace, health, wealth and love. Imagine that!
Atta girl, Pollyanna. Thoughts are things, so BRING IT!
