That was my response to a text not long ago to a friend recounting the week in the life of their young family. They were, in her words, “insane” and “the kids are all out of sorts…just like all of us.” That kinda nails it when it comes to life in any and all of its chapters and interactions. Who knew?? Not me, that’s for sure, and probably not you either. Which seems like a gift of gigantic proportions. Because if we knew what it, any of it, would be like, we probably wouldn’t sign up for it to begin with. And if life asks anything of us, it is to sign up for it. To be all in, regardless. To show up, say yes, and do our part. Over and over and over again.
I‘m one week out from a total knee replacement, and have the pain, bruising, cocktail of drugs, and slow road to recovery to prove it. Who knew I would need not one, but two of these in the course of two years. Not me. If I had, I might not have fallen in love with hiking with my geologist. Might have tried to protect my joints rather than put them to work exploring this glorious world on foot. Might not have worn down these old knees trekking on some of the most beautiful trails imaginable. Might not have stood on the top of a mountain, slept in a tent, or peeked into a volcanic crater. Might not have created an extraordinary pilgrimage out of an ordinary logging road that we hike week in and week out come what weather may. But while all of that hiking eventually made these surgeries necessary, they also made them possible. It was all of those miles logged and memories banked that equipped me for the miles of recovery, and encouraged me to get a couple of bionic knees so that we could keep on keeping on. Sometimes what breaks us can also make us. Life. Who knew?
Grab life’s deck of cards and pick a card, any card. Relationships. Money. Parenting. Health. Loss. Grief. Love. Success. Friendship. Career. Politics. No matter what card we draw, life will surprise us in wonderful and terrible ways. If we knew too much we would most likely risk too little. If we tried to hedge our bets we would probably come up short more often than not. Playing it safe never keeps us out of harms way. Not really. It just makes us easier targets for life’s inevitable arrows.
My favorite NFL coach talks about the success that comes from “time on task”. What is true on the football field is true in life. We succeed by doing, and doing, and doing, and doing. It’s what we avoid that reaches out and bites us and everyone around us, starting with the people we love the most. Speaking of that, it’s time for another round of painful but necessary exercises, a little ice and elevation , and a few drugs. If I don’t do them I won’t be ready for whatever life asks of me next.
If I knew way back when what I know now would I choose do it all again? Absolutely, she says with wink. Thankfully I didn’t know or I might not have.
As it turns out, writing with a little shot of oxy is kinda fun. Life. Who knew???
