She’s got the bug

Dear Younger Me,

Sit down. I’ve got news. Novella is sick and it’s contagious. She picked up the walking bug. I am so incredibly proud of my mom. 

This past Saturday, we went on a morning walk. In the midst of having a heart to heart, her foot was halted to a sudden stop behind a slab of broken cement as the rest of her body continued with momentum. 

Time stood still.

I understood how moms feel at that moment. I wanted to catch her. I wished it was me. Everything was out of my control. 

We made eye contact as her body tumbled roughly 5-feet. It looked as if her face might be the first thing to fully make contact with the ground. Her eyes broke a piece of my heart. I saw the look that I know too well because I have worn it, embarrassment. Moments later it was shielded behind tears of pain. 

In the midst of feeling nothing but pride in my mom as she was actively working towards a goal, embarrassment tried to steal the moment. In the blink of an eye, she was down for the count. Rushing towards my freshly wounded mother and wondering, “If she needs to go to the hospital then how am I going to get her there?” 

Thankfully, no brain injuries after landing on her face. I erupted, “ARE YOU OKAY?” Her eyes looked across the cement and asked, “Are my glasses broken?” Again, I pleaded, “MOM, ARE YOU OKAY?” In between the tears, her eyes shifted and asked, “Is my phone broken?” I grabbed both as I said, “These can be replaced. How are you? Are you in pain? Can you stand?”

She returned to her feet and no doctor was needed. Let’s just say, whoever sees her this week has the opportunity to see a variety of colors. 

We walked down the block to the town square, sat on a bench and continued our heart to heart. 

That fall got my attention in more ways than one. Impossible to not see because it was one for the books. What hit me in the gut was the reality of how fast anything can happen. A casual walk and without warning wondering if I would be calling “911.” I know that may sound intense but you would understand if you saw what I witnessed Saturday. Not only can change occur abruptly, but what mattered to me was clear. 

All that mattered to my mind, heart and every fiber in me was, “I want my mom to be okay.” Her mind did what I find myself doing in the day to day and focused on material objects. I received a beautiful reminder while sitting beside my mom in the park and thought, “My mom is priceless. There is no object that can compare in value to a person.”

Thankfully, my fears that day were simply fears. We both walked away. She will possibly be marked forever with a scar or two (healing is a funny thing). My heart is stamped with the reminders of how nothing is guaranteed and the value of an individual is immeasurable. 

I just wanted to ask you if, “Is there something you would regret not doing or saying if the unexpected happened? Have you let something blind you from seeing and caring for another human? Do you take every opportunity to remind others of the value you see when you look at them?”

With Love,

Older you

P.S. If you see this then don’t let Novella near uneven surfaces on June 28th, 2025. Tell your mom that you love her every opportunity you get.