Often times, those of us who are active, healthy, and fit tend to take our bodies for granted. We assume that we will wake up every day and we’ll be able to do what we want to do (within reason). It’s only when illness or injury sets in that we realize just how lucky we are every day that things work the way that they are supposed to.
A broken elbow is by no means serious in the grand scheme of all the things that could happen to a person. It’s a minor setback, but spending even only a couple weeks unable to do some of my favorite activities has instilled in me a new sense of appreciation for them.
And so, an evening of paddleboarding on the river with Evan became so much more than just that. The discovery that I could indeed do this again, though in a slightly modified manner of using my left arm to do all the work and my right arm to simply guide the paddle, was a delight in itself. The mist rising off the water, the perfect temperature of the summer air, the close-up views of a couple of bald eagles, and the beautiful sunset we witnessed as we glided into town were all bonus.
helena kotala 