6October2014 Light & Momentary Troubles

It started with a pop.  Two pops really.  The boys and I were out enjoying the newly installed artificial turf on our neighborhood soccer pitch.  We'd been looking forward to playing on it.  Two weeks of playing on concrete was enough.  It was time for some real, errr fake, grass.  Oh, how nice it was too.  The ball was much slower, the ground was more forgiving and it was just prettier to look at.  Something about that white and black ball rolling across that bright green grass.  Glorious!  

Took this shot right before the fall.

Back to the pop.  I was running to retrieve the ball.  I'd already surveyed the field and spotted J. running all alone toward the goal.  One easy cross and boom he would surely score.  The "boom" turned into "Pops!" and my forty-plus year-old knee buckled, sending me to the beautiful, glorious turf.  Nausea swept over me and sweat instantly drenched my body.  I didn't black out but came pretty stinking close.  The injury wasn't a new one.  This very knee had been injured when setting up an apartment for a Burmese refugee family back in March.  I'd been to the orthopedist, had x-rays and taken anti-inflammatories but had traveled overseas before an MRI could be done or surgery could take place.  Honestly I thought it was better.  Cured even.  But those pops brought me back to reality.

So, no morning walks for two weeks and everything returned to normal.  I thought.  Another pop, this time while investigating some ancient Roman ruins, I stepped down from a large building block and pop, hit the ground. Same routine routine! Nausea and sweat accompanying a near blackout followed by twenty minutes laying on the ground.  No fun!  

The next day I was pretty depressed.  How am I supposed to do all the work that needs to be done over here while hobbling along? I walk much more than I drive and the uneven surfaces of the roads and sidewalks over here are very unforgiven.  It's difficult enough to walk on two good legs!  I took some medicine and sucked it up long enough to accompany a volunteer team while visiting a Syrian family. This was way more powerful than any medicine!  How in the world could I possibly complain about a silly hurt knee when these women who have seen and experienced so much are able to smile and open their homes in such warm hospitality?  Illness, lost homes, lost things, lost loved ones, torture, betrayal, and abuse, yet they continue to persevere, raise their families and look after one another.  God bless them!  My light and momentary troubles are nothing!

Three generations of women in this beautiful Syrian family.  They have seen and experienced a lot!