Taking Smaller Steps

To the girl who’s used to rushing things,

Now you’ve got a personal but not-so-friendly reminder to slow down—the fractured ankle in your right foot. Your body’s way of telling you that it couldn’t keep up with the pace you had in mind. Meaning the pace you can actually keep constant isn’t as fast as you thought.

“Right foot, left foot.” You had a rhythm but it was neither steady nor sustainable. So here you are, right foot limping behind left foot. Two uneven strides calling for smaller steps taken one at a time. This whole healing thing is bringing you back to the basics, a place you haven’t been in a while.

It’s okay to ask for help when you’re relearning “right foot, left foot.” The basics of being can be hard. And it’s also okay to have to suddenly look for a spot where you can sit and rest because of that sharp, sudden, sometimes prickling, sometimes burning sensation in your foot. Once you’ve given yourself the time and space to slow down with the basics, know that there’ll be something to look forward to: all the jumping, hopping, skipping, and sprinting your feet can handle. After months of not being able to do all those things, it’ll feel good to fly. Really good. Slowly, with time, the rest of you will start waking up. To a new season, a new rhythm, a new tempo. That’s exciting.

Sincerely, Esther