To walk in the snow

To fit my R ankle brace inside my R boot

To risk using my running shoes in the snow as it is the only footwear that fits my ankle brace.

To get another pair of walking poles or a walker, or accept the wheelchair that someone is offering for my use.

To wait for surgery while the layers of pain remind me that there is good news in that scalpel. 4g of painkillers every day in the last two years is no longer working.

To look up and see that it is not a challenge to see how beautiful this world is, the springing bulbs that forgot that it is still winter, the smiling child, the frenetic dog that wants to slobber on my face, the warmth of my husband’s hand when he accompanies me in that very, very short walk that I can manage for now. It is not a challenge to say I love you.