My injury became an unexpected Christmas gift!

Yes, a gift.

And definitely unexpected.

It’s strange to think of an injury as a gift, but the notion of this became so apparent to me as my husband and I were driving to meet friends for an impromptu dinner date.

Before my injury (backstory in a previous blog titled, That time I went for a Christmas tree and spent 6 days in a hospital), I had shared with some friends and family that my wish for this Christmas was to simply enjoy experiences together. I didn’t need (or want) anything tangible. I simply wanted to enjoy our time, together.

Little did I know – when I put those words out into the universe – how the universe would interpret my humble wish, and respond with such an abundance. This Christmas was likely my most stressfree and relaxed in recent memory. The normal pressures were lifted and the ‘People Pleaser’ part of me was put in a time-out.

It’s all in the timing.

Yes, it was Christmas and the festive holiday season. A time of year filled to the brim with festive cheer. Typically, I would be bouncing around from gathering to gathering and smack dab in the heart of all the festive action, so it is certainly not a convenient time of year for me to have an injury. But it’s not the worst time either. That would have been during the riding season. As a Motorcycle enthusiast, being on the open road means everything to me. To lose any minute of riding due to injury would be soul-crushing. The timing of this was in my favour. Perspective is everything.

Another bonus – no Christmas hangovers. It would have been completely irresponsible for me to overindulge in libations, so I sipped (and savoured) a glass or two of my favourite wine. No Hangovers. Hooray.

Always a Bright side.

Slowing down.

Many people, when wishing me well, also encouraged me to enjoy the forced ‘downtime’. I get it now. It’s so ironic how it takes breaking bones to take a break. I resisted this forced downtime initially. My resistance stemmed from the word ‘downtime’ instigating a negative reaction – I didn’t know this ‘downtime’ place. Now, I do. It’s a lovely magical place.

What I lost in physical movement, I made up for in mental stimulation. I allowed my creative and inquisitive nature to take up space. It filled the void that was hollowed out from reduced mobility. I read. I learned. I wrote. The space that once occupied with moving and doing was permeated with thinking and being.

A lovely magical place indeed.

People care. About Me.

I’ve never been on this end of it. I’ve been the one doing the visiting, sending cards and flowers, sending the messages. This was all new for me. Every visit, call, gift, flowers, text, ‘thinking of you’ message was a gift to my soul. Every single one lifted me – a genuine and lasting gift of friendship and compassion.

Ask and you shall receive.

It also forced me to ask for and accept help. If you have an injury, and your mobility is impaired, you need help. Yes, I adapted and adjusted to my mobility limitations, but I still require help.

A remarkable thing happened when I asked for and accepted help – People responded. With kindness. With care.

This was hard at first, but with each passing day, my independence armour whittled away. Opening the door for me to humbly and gratefully hone a new skill. Another gift.

In sickness and in health.

I’m not surprised by my husband’s kindness and caring, I did, after all, chose to marry him and we exchanged vows to be each other’s life partner. I was, however, stressed about how this would impact my husband, as by simple proximity he would be most affected and inevitably my ‘go-to’. My husband stepped up – gracefully and without hesitation or complaint. I’m sure it added more stress to him, as typically I would be the one hurrying about during the weeks leading up to Christmas. This year, I simply couldn’t. Chores around the house are no longer equally distributed, he is most definitely carrying the larger share. And he’s doing just fine. He has become my chauffeur, my shopping cart pusher, my trusted safety net while navigating crutches on the stairs, my errand runner, etc.

This is marriage. This is love. Another gift.

Being Chauffeured

I’m not going to lie. This was (is) very hard for me. Driving denotes independence, for me. I’ve never been without this privilege since getting my license 28 years ago. But I know the temporary loss is just a blip in my driving journey.

It is an unexpected gift – as if I got a temporary exemption from the daily hustle and bustle and running errands which having a car often leads to. It also forces me to plan and chose my outings wisely – as I require a companion to leave my home and want to make the most of their time and mine.

Renewed commitment to a healthier and stronger Self.

Being non-weight bearing for an injured foot requires relying on the uninjured leg during the healing phase. This is hard on the body – especially the good leg (hip, knee, ankle). Many people will experience subsequent injury to their 100% relied-on limbs due to overuse. Needless to say, my uninjured half is getting a full body work-out. Every hop I make on my good leg is thoughtfully done and carefully placed. My mobility is all riding on my good foot, good knee, good hip. I’m managing, but I sure wish I had less weight to carry and with stronger muscles. Through this experience, I have renewed my commitment to a healthier and fitter me. I can’t guarantee I won’t be injured again, but I can (and will) control my body’s ability to handle it.

A promise and gift to myself.

Focus on what really matters.

We always hear the expression, “It’s not what is under the Christmas Tree that matters. It’s who is around it”. This was the first year I really, truly lived this expression. I didn’t burden myself with worrying about the presents. I did what I could through Amazon Prime and one local shopping excursion. And that was it. End of pressure. And the earth didn’t open up and swallow me into it. I doubt anyone even noticed. I focused my energy and attention on what matters – time with people I care about it. We enjoyed our time together with good food and good conversation. Honestly, this was the most relaxed, enjoyable, and stress-free Christmas in recent memory.

My Christmas wish was realized.

It’s been a month since my injury, and I likely have at least 2 more weeks with a cast and being non-weight bearing. Granted, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops, and I do struggle and lose my patience and miss the freedom of my full mobility. I’m choosing to see the bright side.

I may have broken my ankle and leg, but it hasn’t broken my spirit.

It’s all in how we choose to look at it.

To me. For me. It is an unexpected Gift.

With much and continued gratitude,

Nicole Osmond

Customer Success Coach

As a Customer Success Coach and 3 X business owner, I am living my passion and helping companies succeed by cultivating a customer committed mindset.

A Writer with Heart – I weave words together to stimulate, elevate, and motivate. My blog is my canvas to share my ‘experience nuggets’ with you! Thanks for stopping by! With gratitude, always – Nicole