My injured knee is healing slowly, far too slowly for someone as impatient as I am. By the middle of this week, I came to the realization that despite all the wonderful snow we've gotten this week, I am not going to be able to snowboard this weekend. Even though I am tempted, it just doesn't make sense to go back to the slopes until the ligament and cartilage are fully healed. To be honest, it's not so much that I fear the physical pain, it's that if something happened to make the injury worse, I just couldn't stand to hear all the people in my life saying, "I told you so."
February here in Snowstorm Region is a long month of snow and ice, weather so fierce that it often makes the front page of the newspaper. It's a month of introspection and melancholy moods. I decided that if I couldn't combat the February blues with fresh winter air and the adrenaline of carving down a mountain slope, I would try the next best remedy: a retreat.
So I am off for a few days to one of my favorite places: a Benedictine monastery. It's a cluster of buildings – a chapel, some guesthouses, and the barns of a working sheep farm – set high in the hills. The winter wind rushing across the hills will be fierce, I imagine, and the sheep pastures buried in drifts of snow, but I'll be warm inside by the fire in the guest house, or at my spot in the chapel that smells of incense and candle wax. I'll have to time to read, to pray, to think, to heal.
13 comments:
Have you considered water therapy? I found it very helpful when I blew out my knee.
We have the same snow issues in Lake Effect Snow Central. It has not stopped snowing for at least two weeks. Plus, the cold is just unbearable, like air temps below zero and wind chills at -25. But I am sure you are farmiliar with that. Today it will finally get to 20 degrees. Woohoo, heat wave!
The retreat sounds like a good plan. ben t. is having a hard time with healing -- his thumb has been splinted for 3 weeks now and at least another one ahead. no cello, no wrestling and no basketball -- sure makes the winter move in slow motion for him.
I hope you find peace in your time away, and please continue to heal well. I completely get the impatience thing, particularly when it comes to things like health.
actually the worst outcome of being impatient is to injure it even more, so badly that you'll not be able to snowboard at all!
The retreat sounds great. Have a wonderful time!
Oh Jo(e), I'm so sorry your knee is still hurting. I've been thinking about you with all this beautiful snow. It must be such torture for you not to be able to get out in it. I think the retreat is a fantastic idea! We all know you'll have a great weekend there. I hope you bring back more pictures of the sheep for us. I'm curious how they handle all this snow.
Six weeks to heal if you're good. Longer if you insist on using it, or if you're diabetic.
Enjoy your retreat! Take lots of pictures!
I hope you have a wonderful retreat jo(e)!
All that snow and no play. I hope the retreat soothes your restlessness.
Sounds wonderful jo(e). Enjoy it for me! *lol*
Just wanted you to know I'm thinking about you, praying the retreat brings some healing.
Heal well. I'm thinking about you on retreat.
And anticipating the pictures you'll take!
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