This time last year, my pinkie finger had three Frankenstein pins sticking out of it as external fixation for a shattered bone (proximal phalanx for our medical readers). I had dropped a jar of peanut butter on it Christmas Day and had surgery three days later. I was truly astonished that a bone that small could hurt that much, and I was a big baby. It does not hurt my feelings one bit to admit it. You can ask anyone at my office, and they will confirm that I was a baby. I was pitiful and whiny and not at all a big girl. All my attention was directed at that very small wound and I cried a river of tears.
You may not realize it, but it is hard to put your hair in a French twist with one hand. Why, you can't even wash your hair with just one hand! Buttoning and zipping pants - forget it. Manicures? One handed. Feeding livestock? Nope. Tossing hay bales? Nope. Type? One finger pecking was all I could manage. My life as I knew it came to a screeching halt. Suddenly, I was dressing in yoga pants and wearing an elastic headband to hold my hair back. I gave up manicures. Bill the Magnificent came to work and started doing my farm chores. I ate protein bars and cereal for supper because it was so hard to cook with the cast.
This time last year, I was astonished at how fast my life had changed and I didn't like it one bit. As the months wore on, and the X-rays looked much the same, I began to worry that I might not get my life back. It was a frightening, sobering thought.
Now, twelve months later, my finger is still crooked but it's about as well as it's going to get. It's functional and the strength is returning. I can hold a baby aspirin in my hand. That may not seem like much, but it takes a pretty good grip to hold it. All those things I couldn't do are back on the agenda again.
I have one thing that's new since last year. I can tell the weather with my finger. Ryan says it's a minor superpower. I'm thrilled to have a superpower, although I wish I had a more desirable one. A superpower... Does that make me a superhero? I wish. According to my son Ryan (who is 21 and therefore very knowledgable about these things), people with superpowers are either supervillains, superheroes, or superneutrals. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure which would be worse - supervillian or superneutral. Ok, you are right. Supervillain is worse, but I don't want either of those.
I guess I'll have to settle for superhero. Hmmm. That means I will have to do something heroic, and that will be a real challenge! I guess that's my new year's goal. Superpower in 2013. Superhero in 2014. Sounds good, doesn't it but it's not realistic.
The dictionary describes a hero as someone who has done great and courageous deeds. The good news is we already have a real superhero, and His name is Jesus. If dying on the cross and rising again wasn't great and courageous, I don't know what would be. How wonderful! Jesus has done the hard work, and I don't have to be a superhero after all! I'm leaving that job to Jesus. He's the greatest superhero of all!
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