If my ankle is the worst inconvenience to befall me, I hereby pronounce myself blessed. An opinion piece in the newspaper I read this evening written by a critical care doctor at a hospital in Boston reminded me how much. The author shared some sad tales about the casualties of non-Covid but Covid-related deaths and severe health issues suffered by people who were too afraid to seek medical attention for non-Covid issues that ended up causing more severe situations—and even death for many sufferers. The longtail effects of this pandemic will be felt and eventually seen as the rest of this decade unfolds: cancers, substance and physical abuse, starvation and dehydration, neglect; the list goes on. Of course, my own family has seen this play out with Mom’s prolonged isolation in a senior living facility and the damages to mental and physical health that lack of human contact and care can level on humans. People need people. Yes, mine is just a badly sprained ankle. At least I’m not a Brood X cicadia, whose molting shells now litter the sidewalks (they’re commmmiiing!) while they grow into their final insect form, have sex, lay eggs, and die.

In honor of National Visit Your Relatives Day, I talked to Mamacita, and her mood has done a 180, thankfully. She’s back to the bright, cheery person who’s glad you called and thoroughly interested in the minutia of her children’s lives. We talked about which flowers are blooming in the garden (roses and irises), Hubby’s lettuce patch (enough to feed every resident of Watership Down and their cousins—although, they probably are all cousins), the latest construction news at our abode (the third and final egress window in place), and sundry people she’s spoken to or tried to phone. Oh, and of course, my colorful ankle (healing nicely and teaching me patience).

Things I’m grateful for today:

• No longer seeing a Bobcat in my front yard; just a large hill of dirt
• Being able to put more weight on my foot and getting more agile on the knee scooter
• The knee scooter (and crutches and a walker; different tools for different situations)
• A job, home, food on the table, my mental and physical well-being
• Friends, family, neighbors, and people who do good work in the world
• My green, blue, yellow, purple, black, swollen ankle that despite its current condition still keeps me moving forward