You know what they say about best laid plans? Well I recently started trying to incorporate more activity into my life.  The plan was to do a lot more dog walking and to get back into hiking. So for one week I religiously walked the dogs each morning and then I on Friday I decided to tackle a small hike.

Here are my faithful hiking companions. We are about halfway through the hike and ready to make our way back to the car. It was a lovely day and the pups were mostly good and then I slipped.

Now I have slipped like this on many other hikes before but I have never heard a popping sound coming from my twisted ankle. For one panicked and painful moment I thought “I am not going to be able to get back to the car.” But I stood up and determined that I could still walk, albeit slowly, painfully and super carefully.

After a trip, pardon the pun, to the doctor and a couple of x-rays I have learned that I have a sprained ankle and will no doubt have a full recovery.

But it strikes me that I am vulnerable to some mental fallout. I love hiking. But it took a little bit more courage than it should have to get me out there last Friday. It is a hike that I am familiar with, I have hiked it before by myself and it is pretty well traveled by other hikers. Still, I found myself caught up in the worries of if I should go alone and if I should take the dogs. I have seen rattle snakes on this hike and I certainly didn’t want the dogs to get too interested if we came upon one.

Of course I have always known that it is possible to get hurt when hiking, but after actually having gotten hurt that knowledge transforms into a new thing to worry about. I am not getting any younger and nature has a way of reminding me of that, in subtle and not so subtle ways. Still, it is up to l me to face the challenge and the balancing act of respecting my age vs keeping a youthful mind and spirit.

I suspect that I will win this mental battle, for now, and will venture out again on new hiking adventures, in practical high top boots that protect my ankles of course! But I am mindful of the toll this little mishap has taken on my psyche and I wonder how many times the delicate fabric of my mental state has been torn. Do I face the rips and tears and continue boldly or do  I look away never even knowing the subtle shift and loss? I will try to be mindful of this as I move on through my days, to use caution while trying not to be fearful, to acknowledge my physical limitations but to try not to be bound by them, to live more fully and to notice the dents and the dings along the way so I can more honestly face the effect that they are having on my life and my choices.

But enough of the naval gazing. It is a beautiful day outside and I guess I am just lamenting that I can not yet take the pups for a nice long walk. On the bright side, because we should always look for one of those, right? My minor invalid status has afforded me some extra time to craft. And if there is one thing I know for certain, for me there is no better remedy to relieve stress and worry than to find something to glue or paint or cut.

Happy Upcycling,

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