STOP, Look and Listen!

 

My physical therapist told me I had a "stop sign" placed in my life to pay attention to when I hurriedly and obliviously tried to walk through the kitchen door last week holding stuff along with my exercise stick (a former broom stick!) sideways--couldn't get through and was jolted to stop. (Duh!) I had been feeling so almost-normal that day, getting back into the busy routine of washing clothes and even trying to clean. I was more busy than paying attention.

That was a mistake, because I hurt some muscles in my shoulder, so much so that that night I had to keep putting ice on it. Luckily, I saw my physical therapist the next day (last Friday) and she carefully and minutely checked the various muscles to see what I'd hurt, while also seeing if I'd damaged my healing shoulder. Luckily, I hurt other muscles than the one that was re-attached to the bone in the surgery .

However, the muscles have remained sore and are hindering my progress in recovery and in my participating in all the PT exercises needed to strengthen all those muscles for moving my arm up, down, and around. If I can ever move my right arm behind me up beyond my butt, I will be greatly pleased. 

Pam, my physical therapist, told me that I need to remember I am fragile and am still healing. I guess this mishap reinforced that image, especially with me getting to see my 15 month old granddaughter this weekend--I canNOT lift Avery or carry her with my right arm, my usual method of holding her.

This was definitely a reminder to be more mindful of my activities. Pay attention! So I was really helped by the meditation I am copying below.



Ellie at Does Not Wisdom Call had this pertinent post about hurrying:

Artist: Margret Hofheinz-Döring

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Hmmm. Has anybody ever thought of giving up hurry for Lent?

"To be impatient is to be hooked on the future."

— Gerald Jampolsky

All of the great spiritual teachers I've ever studied have emphasized the importance and, indeed, the holiness of the present moment. May I suggest that we use whatever Lenten discipline we may have chosen as a way of helping us be truly mindful of the here and now.