On my third lap today, walking unaided on the bitumen road, I finally get into a better rhythm. I feel my speed and my confidence soar! In fact, I am only 5 metres from the finish line and am on my way to achieving a pretty good time.

Sustaining my rehabilitation is quite tough in isolation. However, I’m inwardly chuffed that I have braved the cold weather to do my mundane walking practice. I think about the hot coffee and scone awaiting me.

But then…I fall. I hit the asphalt.

My eyes gaze in disbelief at the gutter. I hear my mum running to my side. My dog licks my bloodied hand.  My body throbs. My stop watch keeps ticking. I just lie there – regrouping.

“I’m fine mum,” I whisper, reaching into my pocket to hit ‘stop’ on my stop watch.

“I am ok”. I mutter again, reassuring both myself and my mum. I’m just gutted that I’ve fallen. My mum helps me upright and guides me to my trusty frame.

When home, savlon and bandaids are applied to the visible grazes and scrapes. Panadol helps mask the body aches and throbs. However, the emotional toll of that stack has really thrown me. I feel uninspired and scared to try again. Gutted! My confidence is back in the gutter!

We often land in a completely unexpected spot to what we envisaged. We typically treat or address the visible injuries immediately, but often overlook the emotional impact. Surely, healing ourselves holistically ensures that we can both physically and emotionally get back up.

Let’s consider the invisible toll these unexpected events place on our lives.

Bandaids only mask the visible injuries on the surface.