The first step is always the hardest

On Friday midday, I was heading out to do some errands. The sun was shining and the weekend upon us. I stopped on the front porch to look at our flower boxes and then turned to walk down the three cement porch steps on my way to the garage. By my estimate of the 35 years we’ve lived in this house, I’ve gone down those steps about 25,500 times without incident. But on Friday, I stepped wrong off the first step and knew I was going to take a tumble. In what was a split second to deal with that reality, I knew putting my hands down to try to break my fall would likely result in breaking my arms, so I stretched my arms out like I was sliding into base and kind of launched my body, hoping not to land in a crumpled heap of the unknown.

So there I was, sprawled on my belly halfway down the sidewalk but feeling like a gymnast who’d stuck the landing. The most excruciating pain in my left knee, which must have taken the brunt of the impact, was the reality check that I’d not be standing on the Olympic medal podium.

My purse and phone had taken the fall with me, so I knew I could call 911 if need be. After a minute or so, I was able to sit up and take inventory of my parts. Other than skinned up palms and, yes, the tops of my toes, since I was wearing sandals, I appeared to be intact, except for my knee, which was already beginning to swell and bruise. Able to stand and limp, I decided to take myself to urgent care, since it was my left knee that was injured and I could drive with my right foot/leg.

Receiving excellent attention within minutes at NW Urgent Care, x-rays were taken and the news that nothing was broken was a huge relief. By now, the pain was definitely at the frowny face 10 level on the chart. After describing what happened to Dr. Kurt Hjeltness, he asked if the fall had been captured on video. I had to laugh when I told him no, and that I’m sure it would have looked far less spectacular than how it did in my mind’s eye. In less than two hours, I was back home, prescription in hand, with my knee elevated and iced.

Miraculously, after days of resting, elevation and icing, walking isn’t painful but touching any part of my now dramatically bruised leg is guaranteed to bring a tear to my eye.

So in my first month of being 70, I find myself incredibly grateful for all of the parts I didn’t break. My husband is planning to put a hand rail up by the steps and I’m planning on taking a little more time to smell the roses. That first step is a doozy!

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Father’s Day 2004 was my last with my dad. Even though it’s been 18 years since I’ve been embraced by the world class hugger who was my father, what I treasure most in remembering him is that I really never lost him at all. I have a lifetime of memories and lessons learned. This daddy’s girl was and is blessed.

Happy Father's Day!

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Happy birthday today to Sharon Bruno, Jody Piper, Jeffrey Benjamin, John McMurray, Richard Wegner, Taylor Brockhoff, Bob Friske, John Hopper and Joe Hutchinson. Tomorrow Tim Shepperd (70!), Jay Troy (70!), Steve Smalley, Taylor Brockhoff, Bill Dick, Desiree Barclift, Darick Pope, Brenda Gabriel, Frank Bybee, Stephen Parmentier, Shelly Cunnington, Richard Wegner and Rebecca Morelli blow out the candles. On Friday Raydeane Owens, Jim Foote, Susan Reilly, Vicky Houle, Jesse Bishop, Leigh Cossette, Jennifer Smith and Dana Scholwinski take another trip around the sun. Saturday Jim Hammond, Wanda McLean, Katy Meeks and Sean Watson will celebrate. Happy Fathers Day birthdays on Sunday to Jim Morrison, Jake Capaul, Peggy Beebe, Jennifer Smock, Tess Schoultz, Kelly Gwinn, Doug Harwood, Mel Swatzenberg, Paul Ivie, Genia Wortman, Lauren Hoffman, Sue Shibley, Bill Cope, Twyla Cope and Joey Flood. Happy last day of spring birthdays on June 20 to Kristen Enders, Lynda Nutt, Christi Fleischman, Daniel Davis, Sherin Diehl, Mark Appleby and Eva Jones. Wayne Newby, Jaymee Paul, Lynda Pym, David Wold, Shirley Bade, Randy Watkins, Kelly Rice, L.C. Schell and Stephen Larson celebrate on Tuesday.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.