Before we move forward on this new adventure, we need to take a peek back for those who are new here. We will look back to a day in the life of a mother and wife that looks nothing out of the ordinary from any other day. Well, other than it was my birthday!
A mother’s typical morning
That morning started out like almost every other mother’s. Trying to get everyone up and out the door. Get one to school and another to daycare and still make it to work on time. My husband and I had decided to go on our snowmobile club’s Thursday night ride that night for my birthday. I had never been able to go before, and we had no family commitments that night. However, our teenage son really wanted to come along with us. We had told him “no” since it was an adult ride. He was upset for being told no, and that morning, when I dropped him off at school and told him goodbye and to have a good day, all I got in return was “Whatever, Mom,” and a door slammed heavily back at me. I never saw him again until after my accident. Those very well could have been our last words.
I left work that day telling my coworkers, “Goodnight, see you tomorrow,” not knowing I would not be back.
The ride that changed everything
We left that night and headed for a restaurant on a lake about 25 miles away. There were about 20 of us riding that night, and I was riding in the middle of the group. My husband stops at each intersection to check on me. I give him a thumbs up, and we keep going. I had just done that when we got out to Hwy 2. We took off on a nice, long-groomed trail. I have ridden it hundreds of times before, but this time would be different. It was dark, and there was less snow. We were headed east, and I didn’t see a drainage ditch running north/south in our path. I hit the ditch area, going over 50mph. I remember seeing a flash of blue (the front end of my sled), and the next thing I knew, I was face down in the snow, unable to move.
After a long and excruciating period of time lying face down in the ditch, I was finally in the ambulance headed for town about 5 miles away. Every bump in the road was more painful than I could bear. Once at RiverView Health in Crookston, MN, they did many scans on me, which revealed I had a severely broken back, ribs, and arms. They quickly contacted Sanford Health, an hour away, where I would be lifeflighted.
Sanford’s Orthopedic Rehabilitation was my home for five of the eight weeks I was in their hospital, learning to walk all over again. Five hours of physical/occupational therapy per day until I was able to manage the stairs in our home and be able to rejoin my family.
Finding gratitude in everyday
Every single day was harder than you can imagine. It was painful, lonely, defeating, and I was angry. I didn’t want to live like this. Not being able to walk right, living in pain, and having my family have to care for me. And there I was, lying in my own poop, talking with my friend on the phone. Telling her that I didn’t want to live like this. And her reply to me was simple, “Anna, I’m so glad you are laying in your poop, so I didn’t have to bury you last week.” It stopped me cold. First, what a fantastic friend to be this honest with me! (You know who you are, and I love you, girl). Second, this was the turning point that changed everything. I had a family to get home to, and I had to find a way to get there.
So, I got up the next day with a new attitude. An attitude of gratitude. I had a devotion that another amazing friend had given me, so I got that out, ended every day with a devotion, and wrote three gratitudes in the devotion so I could reflect back on them. Here are some tips when practicing three gratitudes a day.
- Don’t overthink it – Your gratitude doesn’t have to be huge. One day I was grateful I walked five steps, and the next, I was grateful I didn’t poop my pant.
- Do look for those hidden wins in your day. Maybe you had five things on your to-do list and only got one done. One is better than none. Be grateful for the win rather than frustrated in the four misses.
- Don’t compare yourself to others – Sally might be throwing up her fancy “gratitude list” because it’s November. You are reading it and feeling less worthy than what Sally has going on. Stop yourself right there. 1) We don’t even know if Sally is truthful or giving a social media show 2) You post your gratitude with pride, always. Because it is yours, no one else’s, you own it with pride.
Without finding gratitude in every day and my faith, I would never have made it through this giant bump in my road (or snowmobile trail) and made it back home to my family.
This got long, I’m sorry… Now you have the back story and know how to fight through. Until next time.
Anna
