The Simple Things...

Today's blog is being brought to you at 6:49 a.m. after a sleepless night with Restless Leg Syndrome. I don't sleep well anyway, but it just so happens that my doctor's office has not yet given approval to refill the medication that I take for this lovely phenomenon. But that, my friends, is the subject of a whole different blog.

Allow me to begin by saying that ever since my accident on April 20th people have made remarks such as, "You have such a great attitude" or "I just don't know how you do it." Seriously? What choice do I have. I can crawl back into bed (where I can't sleep) and wait 3 or 4 months for my injury to heal sufficiently to face the world again, or I can go on with my life. I chose to get on with the living. In fact, I'm quite happy to still be among the living. Do I get tired? You bet. Do I get frustrated? YOU BET! But I keep on going because that is the thing to do.

Let me give you an example: strap a skateboard to a bar stool, place one knee on the bar stool and refuse to give yourself permission to put any weight or pressure on that leg. That's a rough example of my "wheelie." Without the wheelie my only options would be crutches, a walker, or the aforementioned bed. So, I love my wheelie. Now, imagine that it has been "a while" since your kitchen floor has been swept or mopped. Imagine that it is ridiculously hot and the roly polys surrounding your home have decided that they would like to come in to the air conditioning. They are so overcome with relief that they die. Can't handle the excitement I guess. Now, imagine that some of the said roly polys are choosing to find a corner of your kitchen in which to place their last remains. Get the picture? Look, I'm no clean freak but I can be disgusted pretty easily. My kitchen floor hadn't been mopped in a couple of weeks. Spills had occurred and been wiped up but the floor wasn't "clean." So, this morning (back to the skateboard and bar stool analogy)I swept and mopped my kitchen floor. It took me 45 minutes but I got it done. Big deal you say? Yes, I say, it is! Try doing anything, LITERALLY ANYTHING, with only one working leg and see how hard it is. No, I'm not asking for sympathy or pats on the back. I'm just sayin'...

There are so many things that we take for granted in life until we don't have them or can't do them. So allow me the simple pleasure of wallowing in the joy of a clean kitchen floor. I never...NEVER...thought that I would crave the ability to do housework, but this one-legged mess has kicked me to the curb. All I want is the simple act of WALKING across a room, sweeping a floor, getting in the bathtub, putting on my shoeS (plural), driving myself somewhere I want to go, etc. You know, the things you do everyday without giving it a second thought.