I went to get down on the ground to put some laundry in the machine, when suddenly I paused.
I actually paused.
Please note that I don’t necessarily HAVE to get down on the ground to load the washer. It’s just easier, and I can balance the load better at eye level. But this is not the point.
The pause is the point.
You ever get a flash, just a quick flash, of your future? Like you catch yourself going around potholes to save your car tires, or you realize you’re driving too slowly? Or you hear yourself tell your kids “We have food at home”? Or when getting dressed for work, instead of grabbing your classy stilettos, you opt for a comfortable wedge?
That pause was like that. Because a fleeting thought passed through my membrane, something along the lines of:
One day I won’t be able to get down there, because I’d never be able to get back up.
Now, I’m fit. I know, God willing, that those days are far away, and nothing to concern myself with yet. But the distance between my body and the floor gave me reason to pause at how lucky I am to be able to get down there easily, and pop back up.
So let’s enjoy it while we can, fam. Let’s fling ourselves around at the gym, in the pool or the ocean. Let’s ride our bikes through puddles, and then lift up our legs. Let’s get down on the ground with the baby or the dog, feel the joy and release of moving our bodies, and feel grateful that we are able to.
It is truly a gift.