
Time heals all wounds. So cliché, but so true.
Last year, I had the unfortunate incident of scraping my right knee in a bike fall. Not once, but TWICE—each event happening about seven minutes apart.
The accident happened on a rainy winter day (pretty much like today) as I arrived at a private yoga class that I was teaching to office employees. The door to our assigned yoga room was locked, and five minutes before class, I remembered that the lady in charge of bringing the key would not be attending class that day. In such case it was my duty to take the key from her desk, in her office which was a block away from where we were. Instantly flustered and concerned that the students would be upset if we started late, I hopped on my bike and rode as fast as I could to pick up the key. Everything—the road, my bike, even I—was drenched as I approached my destination. As I turned my bike right to hop up on the parking lot curb, my front tire slipped against the curb, and I crashed to the ground. I landed on my right knee and both my hands, but with the adrenaline rush, felt no pain. I ran up to get the key, then with the stealth of an action star, jumped on my bike and back to my awaiting students. It was still pouring when I approached my destination, and as I turned right into the building parking lot, my front tire once again skidded against the curb, and once again I was in the air, and once again I was down on my hands and right knee!!! I started to bleed, but the rain quickly washed all signs of blood away. I didn’t have time to feel bad; I had eager yogis awaiting!
When the adrenaline died down and the class was done, I hobbled back to my bike, went home, washed my wounds, and cried. All in that order. I felt stupid for repeating the same mistake, only minutes after the first one. Who does that? Well, we all do, at some point in our lives. When we’re flustered, confused, and unaware, it’s so easy to make the same mistake over and over again. But if we’re more careful and aware of the consequences, we’re less likely to commit the same mistake, or in my case, miscalculate a turn in the rain. I know better now to be more careful when biking in the rain, and if it’s pouring non-stop, I’ll leave my bike home and just take the bus or train.
Whether you’re healing from a physical wound or an emotional one, I wish you the wisdom to see that each day that goes by brings you further away from the hurt. I wish you patience, because you don’t recover overnight. I wish you even more patience, because sometimes you may get hurt again, or you could even relapse, but you will recover. And I wish you the love and support of family and friends, because love makes you feel good—and feeling good is the first step to healing.
So yes my knee finally healed. It took about seven months for the skin to totally flatten out, but what was once a smooth patch of skin is now an area spotted with light brown scars. And of course last Sunday while rock climbing I slipped and banged the same knee against the rock, and of course in exactly the same place! I could only think: “three time’s a charm.” I can even laughed about it this time around, because from experience, I know that the wound will close, the skin will dry up, the scab will fall, and in time I’ll be as good as new. And so will you. Happy healing!
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