Remembering What Happened

It's been eight weeks, but I finally, vividly, remember what happened on June 28th, 2011:  the day of my fall. It was such a brief moment with consequences that will continue to affect me for months to come.

Here's what happened:  As I was hurrying out the front door, my right foot caught in between the slats of the wooden front door mat.  I tried to catch my balance with quick-moving steps, but I couldn't stop. The increased momentum along with gravity forced me to fly down the porch steps and land on the sidewalk.

Obviously, I knew I fell off the porch.  But I couldn't remember how or why.  It all happened so quickly.  It came back as I was walking out my front door early this morning.  My foot slightly caught in the slats.  I was going slowly, so it was no big deal.  I didn't even start to fall.  But all of a sudden, I remembered.  Needless to say, that mat is no longer on our front porch.

Online, right before we bought this house, I saw a similar mat painted in rainbow colors. I thought it was so cute and was pleased the sellers left the mat so I could paint it. I'm not so sure about that anymore.  If I do keep the mat, I'm not leaving it anywhere near a porch. Maybe I'll paint it as a reminder to slow down.  Or it could be a reminder that small mistakes can lead to huge, life-changing consequences.

Thankfully, not all the consequences of that mistake are bad. I've learned a lot through this experience. I'm thankful that poor choices and tragedies can be turned into powerful learning experiences.