Oh my goodness! What happened? My friend's uneasy eyes were focused on the deep blue black bruise on the back of my thigh. Because of its proximity behind me, out of my normal range of vision, I had nearly forgotten about it. At least that is, unless I was sitting with a chair edge pressing on it to remind me.
A couple of days earlier during a visit with my son and daughter-in-law and two grand-babies, I got tail-wagged. They share their home with a large dog, Dozer, a fine four footed pal. He enjoys his human family and their guests with exuberant paw prancing and tail wagging.
That tail of his whipped my bare skin like a wound up damp towel in the hand of a fourteen year old brother. I felt the sting but didn't think much of it. Continuing to feel the sting a minute or so later I reached down to rub it out and was startled to feel a large lump at the point of the sting. Looking, I was even more startled to see where my leg indeed had swollen and was bruising.
I did what doctors always say to do in such a circumstance, apply a cold compress. In this case it was my grandson's chilled juice pouch. I sat for fifteen minutes or so, as the juice pouch provided relief for the stinging and reduced the swelling, it proved highly effective.
By the time my friend spotted the unsightly evidence of my frailty, the bruise was at its worst. It did look like I had been involved in some sort of dreadful accident, but no, I simply wore the proof of an excited k-9.
For a few days it was a reminder of how something as small as that one bruise on the back of my leg, can have so big an influence on the rest of my body. It demanded a lot of my attention and would not let me forget it was there.
I was careful when I sat and when I moved at night, even when half asleep. I was conscious of what I would wear for the day, making sure that if I would be out in public, that part of my leg could not be seen. It was not a pleasant sight, no one should have been unwittingly subjected to the same uneasiness my friend experienced at seeing it.
I thought about how my body's built-in healers sounded the alarm, like the siren of a volunteer fire department house, summoning the special ops team to the emergency, immediately getting to work minimizing and repairing the damage, and how this human body is a fascinating thing.
A couple of days earlier during a visit with my son and daughter-in-law and two grand-babies, I got tail-wagged. They share their home with a large dog, Dozer, a fine four footed pal. He enjoys his human family and their guests with exuberant paw prancing and tail wagging.
That tail of his whipped my bare skin like a wound up damp towel in the hand of a fourteen year old brother. I felt the sting but didn't think much of it. Continuing to feel the sting a minute or so later I reached down to rub it out and was startled to feel a large lump at the point of the sting. Looking, I was even more startled to see where my leg indeed had swollen and was bruising.
I did what doctors always say to do in such a circumstance, apply a cold compress. In this case it was my grandson's chilled juice pouch. I sat for fifteen minutes or so, as the juice pouch provided relief for the stinging and reduced the swelling, it proved highly effective.
By the time my friend spotted the unsightly evidence of my frailty, the bruise was at its worst. It did look like I had been involved in some sort of dreadful accident, but no, I simply wore the proof of an excited k-9.
For a few days it was a reminder of how something as small as that one bruise on the back of my leg, can have so big an influence on the rest of my body. It demanded a lot of my attention and would not let me forget it was there.
I was careful when I sat and when I moved at night, even when half asleep. I was conscious of what I would wear for the day, making sure that if I would be out in public, that part of my leg could not be seen. It was not a pleasant sight, no one should have been unwittingly subjected to the same uneasiness my friend experienced at seeing it.
I thought about how my body's built-in healers sounded the alarm, like the siren of a volunteer fire department house, summoning the special ops team to the emergency, immediately getting to work minimizing and repairing the damage, and how this human body is a fascinating thing.
An ever so faint shadow remains now after a couple of weeks. That too will fade away completely. But this seemingly insignificant experience produced thoughts that are so applicable to living and being alive. How one thing, even a seemingly insignificant thing, one look, one word, one slight wrong move, has the potential to become so much bigger than ever thought possible, for harm or for good. And, though I am only one person, I should never underestimate my God given, God encouraged potential, and should bare in mind that same potential for every one person. Remembering also, that like my bruise, one person has the potential to inflict harm and damage that the whole is effected by, and that when the whole rallies to the aid of the harmed or damaged, healing ensues. One, but not alone, is the DNA of our divine design.
I could have done without the tail wagging as far as the discomfort and unsightliness goes, but the thoughts inspired by the incident are keepers. Those two life ingredients demand attention, and when attention is given, potential produces.
In the future, I will make a better effort to stay near the front end of Dozer, having been once wagged. I will also probably think about all the thoughts that tail wagging prompted. I will pat his head and scratch his ears and say to him, "good boy Dozer, good boy".
In the future, I will make a better effort to stay near the front end of Dozer, having been once wagged. I will also probably think about all the thoughts that tail wagging prompted. I will pat his head and scratch his ears and say to him, "good boy Dozer, good boy".
Hey P!!! I saw your comment and I was so glad to hear from you. Hope you are enjoying your summer.
ReplyDeleteThose dogs sure can tail wag ya, right?
xo Rhonda