If I had to give myself a song for this week, it would be slow down you move too fast by Simon and Garfunkel. Seriously, this is the lesson I needed to learn this week. Last Saturday, I was trying to do too much. I was breaking all my own rules and as a result did not pay attention to how I was putting the top on my new teapot. As a result, after putting the tea blend in the infuser basket and filling it with boiling water, my left hand plunged in because I had not put the top on properly. At the same time, our home was rapidly filling up with guests. So with a hand which was red, swollen and puffy, I graciously retreated to my office to keep ice on it, let the waves of pain move through my hand, the tears roll down my face, and work on meditating my way back to a place where I was controlling my pain and not vice versa. The process I was assisted by loving friends, of which one is an LPN, and my wife who kept people away from me while I calmed down and suggested I take a pain killer. Of course, I also did what I always do when I am in need of prayer; I posted on Facebook about how I had just burned the crap out of my hand and asked for prayer. LOL isn’t that what everyone does when they are in my situation. Eventually, with my hand numbed by bags of ice, I returned to our friends and enjoyed the rest of the night ensuring everyone I was going to be just fine and allowing others to wait on me, not vice versa. Lessons learned, slow down and do not move so fast and don’t block others blessings; allow them to serve me sometimes.
The evening ended with my hand wrapped bathed in aloe gel, sprayed with lanacaine, covered in pads, and wrapped in gauze. My nurse friend assured me that in a couple of days I would be able to type again with two hands and be laughing about this moment. We also laughed at how Zoe would have to cook for a few days, as I would not be chopping anything with that hand and she might have to assist me with some other personal needs of which I know she was not happy. It was a night I will never forget. What I remember next was waking to this dream about me sitting at my keyboard typing with two hands and then going in the kitchen cooking and all the other things I normally do as if none of this had happened. I slowly got out of bed to go to the bathroom, praying I would not need any assistance in the bathroom. When I got there, I realized that all the bandages were gone and my hand was completely healed and there was no pain. I had this moment of shear disbelief, kind of, like when Lazarus rose from the grave. So grateful for the faith of my prayer warrior friends, the healing energies sent to me that night and faith everything was going to be ok.
So, did I learn my lesson about slowing down and being mindful? NO! In the midst of trying to catch up on some grading, I thought I would take a 30-minute power nap, only this time I was not going to take out my contact lenses. Thirty minutes later, I woke up to go to the bathroom and return to my piles of papers (electronically, not physically) unable to see. My left contact lens was no longer in my eye and despite attempts to retrace my steps and Zoe and I looking for it, it was not to be found. I managed to get through this without saying anything negative about myself and remembering it is what it is.
Lesson learned – slow down, you move too fast. Take your lenses out before you take a nap. With the assistance of blowing up my computer screen, a magnifying glass, and my right contact lens, I have managed to survive. My eye doctor’s office has ordered me a new lens, which will be here today. They were able to order it overnight. Every few hours, I have had to lie down and take a nap because of eyestrain headaches. However, I have learned my lesson (I hope) that sometimes I move way too fast. Sometimes – LOL – ok, I move too fast. So my intent this month is to slow down and make the moment last. Thanks for the reminder Simon and Garfunkel.