Falling into Resiliency
On Wednesday evening after Bible study, I took one of the ladies home that does not have a vehicle. Typically, I leave the kids behind to play for a while, before I get back, we all help clean the kitchen and fellowship hall. My son is at camp, so only my daughter stayed behind. As I left, I noticed all the kids playing atop the play park. I watched for a while, with an eerie feeling.
As the lady exited my vehicle at her house, my phone rang. It was my friend who took care of the Wednesday night meals. “Madilynn fell from the top of the play park. She seems to be okay but is hurting really bad.” The mile to the church building seemed to take forever. Every traffic light turned red. My thoughts ranged from “How will I pay for the emergency room?” to “What if she can’t do ballet camp next week?” and everything in between. I prayed the entire time, probably only two minutes but it seemed longer.
When I arrived at the building, I parked close to the door, not knowing if I would have to carry her out, in a haphazard manner. When I entered the building, I learned she walked inside after the fall. As I looked her over, I saw nothing broken, no scrapes, no visible bruising. She could move everything and walk. She didn’t cry around any of her friends – one much more alarmed about the fall than she seemed to be.
On Thursday morning before a Wavemaker online event, I took her to the chiropractor. He confirmed that nothing was broken but that she was all twisted, with one leg being about an inch off from the other. She’s still a little sore but as cheerful, chattery, and chipper as ever. She’s even a little annoyed with me asking how she’s doing.
What is the lesson? When you fall, no matter how far or how much it hurts, GET UP! Nat King Cole sang, “Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” When you get up, get moving again in a better direction. Whether you want to kick a bad habit, stick to good ones, or start something new, GET UP after every setback, EVALUATE what you’ve learned, and MOVE FORWARD.