Time

I believe that time can either be a useful friend or a subtle enemy. This past week I saw a news story about a teenage girl in North Carolina that lost a leg along with some fingers in a shark attack. During the interview she displayed a truly brave and uplifting spirit when talking about the attack and consequent injuries to her body. She stated, in essence, that she didn’t want to be pitied or viewed as a defeated victim. I thought to myself “good for her!” with a sense of assurance that she was going to successfully move past the initial trauma of the shark attack. I truly wish her well and hope that her spirit will endure in the coming years.

Although I do not feel that my injuries could possibly compare to hers, I do wish that I could warn her concerning the issue of time. I sincerely hope that time does not wear down her spirit and her sense of inner strength. If I could warn her, I would let her know that time can be a harsh opponent that relentlessly causes subtle challenges as it plays with your head.

The thing is that the dust eventually settles when you’re done with hospitals, surgeons, rehab centers, and physical therapists. You no longer progress, the alarms stop sounding, and you’re positioned to come to terms with the realization that everything is where it’s going to be. Things begin to change as most people stop paying attention to what has happened to you in any prominent way. It’s not that they stop caring, but rather that an emergency mode can only last for so long within people’s minds. The fact that life moves on and this world, along with all of it’s people, continues to advance with or without your injuries begins to settle in with time. You’re placed in a position to realize that although there are plenty of loving folks in your life, to a certain extent you’re on your own to live with the long-term consequences of your injuries. Those consequences remain very much vital…to you. You’re no longer conquering the trauma, but rather living with the outcome of the trauma. The injuries are no longer the center of attention beyond your own heart, and the aftereffects become an everyday reality that becomes the norm for you. You must simply move on as life advances.

I’ve learned a lot over the past several years, and I hope that this young lady will learn to conquer every challenge that lies ahead as she advances in life. At a certain point you progress beyond the distress of all the physical stuff, and the only thing left to conquer is time. I can honestly say that the challenges are always there, but the strength and grace of God are always sufficient.