On this 2023 Thanksgiving Day, I am more thankful than ever. I've always felt blessed with my loving husband and children, but something happened to me this fall that has shown me even more what blessings they are to me.
In early September I fell and broke my leg, only I didn't know it was broken. I thought I had twisted my ankle, so I walked on it for ten days until I finally listened to my friends and went to the emergency room for X-rays. Bingo. Broken.
The next day I was at an orthopedic surgeon's and the next, into surgery. Talk about thankful! Physicians and nurses and X-ray technicians were the answers to my prayers. They patched me up and sent me on my way with very specific instructions to not put weight on it.
That meant renting a knee scooter and being thankful such an invention was ever thought of. That also meant my husband became a constant caregiver. I never can say thank you to him enough, or thank you to God enough for sending him to me those fifty-five years ago. We celebrated our fifty-fifth anniversary of "for better or for worse" during this not-so-better time. My children stepped up and cared for me when he wasn't available. Blessings all around. They pushed me in a wheelchair to my various activities once I was able to be out and about.
Friends, too, took their time pushing me around or catering to my every need. Wow, they were so patient. I went through being a participant in the Mitford GetLit writing conference and a book launch/book signing, all with being good and obeying the doctor's order to keep the weight off my patched leg.
A friend of mine from Florida makes a yearly journey to be dazzled by the fall leaves (with the rest of the million or so leaf peepers). She carted me around, wheelchair in the back of her car, as we went about our normal tour of local wineries and curvy mountain backroads. Was it just me, being so thrilled to be alive and out in the world after weeks of staying in the house, or were the leaves the best ever?
We made a stop at a wonderful gift shop in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, the Market on Oak Street. They carry my books there and I replenished their supply. I also posed for this picture.
There I am in all my glory, hanging out in my air boot in the children's corner of the store. If you look on the shelf, you'll see how they displayed my books. I'm blessed that others see something of value in my work.
For a special blessing, my Florida friend (Sara) drove us to a winery meet-up with my Ohio friend (Inez). I tried to hide the wheelchair best I could in this picture:
My husband and I started our Christmas shopping right after the doctor gave me the okay sign to start putting weight on it, boot still on leg, however. First stop, Mrs. Hanes cookie store:
Now I'm off the boot, a blessing of its own, and nearly back to normal. I've learned much since this first happened on September 9th. I've learned to be thankful daily, not just on Thanksgiving Day. I've learned to appreciate the plight of handicapped individuals as they move about in society. Staying home would have been so much easier, but I forced myself to suck it up and go on with my life. I admire those people who, despite the cookie that life crumbled on them, persevere and fight on. I now have a greater empathy for them. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.
Catch of the day,
Gretchen
