Do We Know Our Limits
Do each of us know what our limits are . . . most likely not. While we can recall days gone by, years gone by, we forget what what our bodies tell us on a daily basis. Our minds and our freewill override the signals that our bodies give us. Most recently, it took the additional warnings of me, telling Dennis that his plan of operation for his body was not a good plan.
Perhaps it was the great sunny spring morning that urged Dennis on in his yard work. With permission, we had the neighbor’s fire pit going with twigs and branches. It would be a very tidy yard on Stauffer Avenue. Good grief, we can’t waste a good fire. The loose branches that were hung up in our large Maple tree enticed Dennis to get the step ladder out. The large configuration of limb and small branches that were dangling over the tree swing came down very easily. The next loose branch that had Dennis’ eye was a good five feet higher and would require less than an even landscape for the ladder to sit on.
I encouraged Dennis to leave it until one of the younger Curry grandsons would stop by. Dennis moved his stepladder in position. I repeated my suggestion; I then warned Dennis against the height being more than he could reach with the stepladder not sitting solidly. My next move was to race to the stepladder to hold it steady. I was too late. By the time I got to Dennis he was lying flat, face down with his arms and hands lying flat on the ground above his head.
I can’t tell you what went through my mind as I bent down beside him. He was so still for so long, I couldn’t breath. God willing, the good Lord was not ready to take my ole cowboy home. Dennis did manage to slowly get himself up. Dennis admitted later, that he was afraid to move for fear of what he would feel. He brushed himself off and also brushed aside my query as to his condition. The stepladder seemed to have taken the short end of this tip over . . . until the dawn of the next day.
We are now three days down and it hurts me to see Dennis move in his pain. I can’t say I have ever experience a cracked rib and from what I am observing, I don’t want to. It didn’t take the two of us long to realize this could have been tragically fatal. The area that Dennis fell has large field rock among the perennials as well has metal stakes to mark their location. Talk about the grace of God watching over us when we don’t want to own up to our limits. Dennis is not alone in this. I know myself well enough to know that this incident will live with me and what I do . . . for a long time. With just the closing of my eyes, I can see his still form after the fall.
It has been sunny warm days since Dennis’ fall and what better way to heal wounds than playing it low key, enjoying the patios and letting the kids of Stauffer (Butter Ball and Snuggles) entertain us. Visiting with JC during these days, He let me know that right now He just can’t fit in Dennis and his shenanigans, but He is praying for me. I have said it many times, “Yeah, just gotta love the ole cowboy.”