Losing Your Footing

When I was a kid, I tripped over some flower pots and collided with the stove that heated my grandmother's house. It was winter and the thing was packed with coal and blowing hot. As I tumbled forward, I thrust out my arms to catch myself, and in doing so, caused the palms of my hands to make contact with the side of the burning stove. I don't remember if I pushed myself back from the hot surface, or if my grandmother pulled me back, but I do know the burns on my hands, while painful, were not as bad as they could have been, and before long, I was up and running again. 

Falling down is never easy. It is seldom planned, it hurts, and even if no one is watching, it's embarrassing. The injuries sustained, both physical and emotional, can slow us down, leave scars, and in worst-case scenarios, traumatize us for life. However, the most difficult part of falling down is not the fall itself; it's getting back up. To be more precise, it's that moment when you decide staying down is not an option, when, despite the pain, regardless of the embarrassment, you choose to rise and continue forward, with or without the help of someone else. We all lose our footing from time to time. However, when we make a habit of getting up and proceeding onward, albeit with caution, we become sure-footed, stronger, and more resilient when facing future falls.

Me in my grandmother's living room. The heating stove is to the right.