Free At Last...Free At Last

Yes, I had my cast cut off today.

Freedom!!

But as they say with freedom, it comes with a price. My wrist hurts when I bend it certain ways, my thumb is so stiff from being in one position for 6 1/2 weeks, my grip is still very weak and I still can't open jars or lift anything with much weight, but NO CAST!!!

The X-ray showed everything was still in place, a callus is forming and things look really good, especially since the fracture was so severe. And I am typing with two hands now!!

Two hands and arms are very important. I found that out when I lost the use of one for 6 1/2 weeks. How to get dressed....now that was really funny to watch. Thank goodness no one had to see the slow frustrating progress of dressing each morning. How do you cut onions, or the meat on your plate? How do you eat a sandwich with only one one hand because the other one doesn't come anywhere near your mouth! Or wash your hands or your hair, with only one hand. Make a bed, or drive a car or clap? Try putting on knee high socks with one hand, or zipping up jeans and jackets. Zippers can be a big problem and very frustrating! How about going outside with only one glove on in -10 degrees because the other hand has a big cast in between the thumb and fingers. Everything, and I mean everything takes twice as long to do with only one hand. Try to read a book using only one hand...turning pages is an interesting proposition...I can see where a Kindle would have been useful.

But gradually one learns how to do things one handed.

I only had to experience being one handed for 6 weeks. And I knew that at the end of the prescribed time I would get the arm and hand back. There are plenty of soldiers that are coming home permanently with a limb missing, for ever.

We take our many blessings for granted here. I never thought about how blessed I was to have two functioning arms and hands. They were always there. They served me well, pursuing my occupation, raising my family, cleaning my home, preparing so many meals, planting my gardens, reading my Bible and taking notes, caring for my elderly parents, playing the piano, holding babies!

God is good and his blessings overwhelm us here in this country. We've all got plenty of food, warm houses, wonderful families and friends, music and church families, books to read, pets to play with, creative abilities to explore, projects to engage in and memories to hold dear.

Two hands. They are a blessing!