Wounded

I hurt myself. As I was cooking dinner last night I had one of those fluke kitchen accidents and almost lost the knuckle on my right thumb. With the help of my girls, (who are now scarred for life) I was able to tape it up with Kleenex and still get dinner on the table. That's what we mom's do…sort of like the women that would have a baby in the field and get back to work, we women are awesome! In time this disgusting looking wound will heal and I will be able to get back to texting like a normal person instead of using the hunt and peck method. It really is not as efficient as you might think. Anyway, after this thumb heals up I will get back to my life as usual and other then what will be a considerable scar, I will be fine. My body is resilient and I will heal.

As I pondered my wound I realized that in the last few weeks my emotional wounds are starting to heal. The weight of the last few years and the losses one right after the other of my Mom, Dad and Aunt and then my own family issues was crushing. I often felt as though I was gone and an alien had inhabited my body. I lost interest in many things that use to bring me joy.

There seems to be some scabbing on those emotional wounds now. In time with care most wounds heal. When you are looking at the open wound whether it is emotional or physical, you wonder if you will ever heal. The soreness and pain draw your attention and for a little while you lose sight of what life was like before the wound. Everything is focused on the pain and life becomes about controlling the pain. Nothing else matters.

Slowly, the healing begins. There is a smile or a laugh. Sometimes it is a split second of joy that shoots a spark and reminds you what it feels like to be pain free. Little spurts of joy begin to hang around you like pearls on a necklace and slowly life returns. Still being careful not to stretch too far and reopen the wound.

Wounds can conquer us if we let them. They can slow us and beat us if we allow it. Hurts happen every day and physical and emotional scars are what are left behind. If you are lucky you will have a couple of nurses to get you through and you will be back at life in no time, but if you are wounded and you are left on your own to heal, give yourself the grace of love. Give yourself the room and the air to heal and in time you too will remember who you are. In no time at all you will be hoisting the wound onto your back and getting back at life the way you remember it to be. You are resilient and you will heal.