My family and I went on vacation and I made sure that I had caught up with all the work for the Let Go and Be Free podcast and my other author-related work. I wanted to unplug, unwind, and spend time with my spouse and kids.
It had been a challenging year and with a lot of change coming, I wanted to be in the moment. Unfortunately, on day 2 of the trip, I fractured my hand. (For the full story, listen to the podcast.)
We had rented some bikes and gone on an 11-mile bike ride. Five and a half miles out and then back. The weather was a bit hot but the scenery in Stowe, Vermont took my breath away. Beautiful green trees, a river on the right that we could stop and put our feet in, and an easy course to bike.
But on the way back to the bike rental, I hit a dip in the road that had some sand in it, and my bike went one way, and I went the other.
I landed hard on my left arm, shoulder, and banged up the whole left-side of my body. When I hit the ground, the air was knocked out of me and I found it difficult to breathe. I just couldn’t catch my breath.
My wife came to help me and I looked down to see blood on my left hand, a throbbing where the break was, and my chest felt as though someone had left a few hundred pounds of weights on it. I had blood on my face, left shoulder, and chin.
Shaken, winded, and in lots of pain, my wife got me to a hospital and I went through a battery of tests to make sure I hadn’t collapsed a lung or broken any ribs.
That night I lay in bed and could barely sit up. Each time I tried to do so, I felt a lot of pain in my side.
We still had 7 more days of vacation and had a 2+ hour car ride in the morning.
Should we head home? Should I go home alone? Or could I go on with the trip as planned?
At the hospital, I had spoken with the doctor and he advised that I could go on my trip, but to keep in mind my own tolerance as to what I could and couldn’t do.
After a fitful night of sleep, I woke up and we decided to continue on with our trip. We had our teenage kids with us and each of their friends. I didn’t want to disappoint and let down four teenagers who were all looking for a great vacation.
In hindsight, I’m glad we went on the trip, but the doctor was right: each day I needed to weigh my endurance and pain level.
I tried my best to focus on positive behaviors to help me heal and get through the week. I also took a realistic look at what I could and couldn’t do. Some days I just stayed home and rested at the rental house. Sure, I could have pushed myself, but I wanted to get better faster and being out in 90-degree weather on my feet all day wasn’t going to give me the space I needed.
I pivoted and took the time to read, sleep, and heal.
During my childhood, I often experienced unhealthy behaviors growing up in an alcoholic/dysfunctional family. I saw people lashing out and taking their anger out on others, being hyper critical to others within the family, or being a martyr. None of these behaviors helped the situation, but that’s what I grew up with.
Now, as an adult, I found myself needing help, being injured, and needing to set boundaries on what I could and couldn’t do each day.
Was I upset?
Yes, I wanted to go out each day, but I couldn’t. I know my body well and knew that I needed to rest and heal.
What helped me get through the pain and frustration?
I focused on the loving-kindness meditation, the Serenity prayer, and I thought about what I was grateful for. (I had recently read a scientific article about the benefits of gratitude meditation on our neural pathways.)
All in all, it was a hard week, but I made the best of a not-so-good situation.
But what I discovered is that when life throws me a curve ball, having adapting skills readily available makes overcoming the challenge so much easier.