I admit Iāve never been good at switching gears right in the middle of something but now I had no choice. I applied for FMLA and dedicated myself to taking care of Jenny and Jack. For the next 2 weeks I was no longer the dad who left for work in the morning, came home at night, and let someone else handle everything else in between. I was the go-to guy. I ran the house.
But how good would I be as a caretaker? How would I keep all these new irons in the fire? How well would I adapt to this new role of selfless service?
Where would my head be at while I was doing it?
Resentment?
Frustration?
Impatience?
Could I do it and, more importantly, could I do it with the right attitude?
We were all about to find outā¦
The Broken Leg Leads to a Sharp Learning Curve
Wow, we sure do create a lot of dirty laundry around here. Itās amazing how much #food we go through in a week. These floors need to be swept every day. Vacuum? Ughā¦ Oh yeah, the bathrooms do need cleaning. āHoney, can you get me a glass of ice water with a straw?ā Ok, when the green flag is up, you can exit the parking lot but once the red flag goes up you have to wait until all the kids are dismissed. āDid you take something out for dinner?ā I donāt feel like cooking today. āHeās taking his lunch 4 days this week.ā I need a minuteā¦
Naturally, I wanted to do all of these things well and keep things moving just like they had been before. I also wanted to find time to work out, time to write, time to read, and time just for me. And I wanted to do it all with a smile on my face.
Wasnāt happenināā¦
#Tony Robbins likes to talk about how are lives play out according to the stories we tell ourselves. Well, the story I was telling myself was one of drudgery, woe, surviving day to day, and doing the best I could under the circumstances. What do people living this kind of life like to do?
Feel sorry for themselves and their plight, maybe?
I know I was. And when I feel sorry for myself, I tend to do things that I find comfortable. I tend to treat myself. And how have I treated myself all these years? With foodā¦
Yep. An ice cream here and there. Snacks I wouldnāt normally eat. Take out foods. My story was that I was owed this for what I was going through by having to take care of everyone all of a sudden. āWhat I was going through? WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH?ā
Hold on a secā¦ Iām not the one with a broken leg. I can walk. I can drive. I can lift. Iām not in pain. What on earth could I possibly be going through?
Easy for me to sit here now and figure this out. You couldnāt tell me that just a few short weeks ago. Probably couldnāt tell me that yesterday or even earlier this morning. Sure, the voice of the #Holy Spirit has been in the back of my head this whole time, telling me to find the joy in serving my wife and son who have brought so much love into my life. But I refused to listenā¦ It was āeasierā just to numb myself.
The Positives of a Broken Leg
I may dwell a bit too much on the negatives sometimes. They tend to come to the forefront of my mind easier than the positives do. There have been so many positives from this as well.
- I have more energy than I think
- With focus and a clear head, I can get a lot done in a short time
- I can cook a meal that doesnāt come out of a box
- I do a better job washing whites with whites and darks with the darks than Jenny does
- I truly appreciate what Jenny does for our family more than I ever have before
- Our marriage has become so much stronger now that sheās experienced my commitment to serving her and Iāve felt her appreciation and gratitude
Thank you, Lord, for this experience. Youāve taught me the perils of taking my beloved for granted. Youāve showed me how to re-engage. Iām not there yet, but Iām beginning to understand the #joy of service. I made plenty of mistakes, but I got a lot of things right too. I know there will come a time when I need to use what Iāve learned and I pray I will be ready when that time comes. Amen.
Read…The Broken Leg – Part III
Revisit…The Broken Leg – Part I
Revisit…A Preview to The Broken Leg
