My Gratitude Challenge Day 5

I'm always thankful for my health, but today I'm thankful specifically for being able to move.

Here's why:

When I was younger I broke my leg in a sledding accident (don't laugh! tobbogan + dark + Cobb's Hill at night=not a great combo), and was in traction in the hospital for 6? 8? weeks. After that, I was bedridden at home for another 8 weeks with a double cast on both legs. Since I was only 7 at the time, I essentially had to learn to walk again with many months of extensive physical therapy. 

Although that was many, many years ago, I clearly remember sitting in my room crying and thinking, "Please Hashem, just let me be able to WALK again!"

He did, but 6 months is a really long time, especially if you're 7.

In high school, my knee locked up again and I needed more surgery, which once again put me on my back for  a few weeks. Again, I remember thinking, "Please let this get better so I can move again! If you do, I'll never again take moving for granted!"

And...He did.

Over the years I've had back trouble, knee trouble, a mysterious inflammation in my leg one year, and every time I beg and plead to please get me back on my feet again so I can function! And I always make the same promise in my head: "Make this go away so that I can move, and I'll thank You every day again for the gift of mobility!"

And I always get it back, BH, and for a few days I remember my promise and I'm super thankful. And then most of the time when I say "Zokef K'fufim" I remember, and I'm thankful. But then I fall into the same old, same old every day, and I start to forget. I start to take for granted the most basic of gifts every day; the fact that I can get up in the morning and run to gan, do Yoga, or take a brisk 45 min walk, run to the store, work, wash the floors, and bend down and kiss boo-boos. Some people can't. But I can. And today, when I'm feeling good (and have been for many years now!) I'm going to keep my promise and be thankful for that.