One day after I got home from taking my daughter to college, my younger daughter called me from soccer practice, and told me she had to go to the Emergency Room. She had collided with another player, heard her knee pop and snap, and asked that I come immediately to the Mustang field in Danville to get her.
As I am calm in these situations, my friend and I packed up dinner for her, and five hours later we were relieved to find no broken bones. She has a high pain tolerance, and calmly sat in the ER waiting room, eating a plate of salmon, salad and couscous. Because of this, and other reasons, I honestly thought she would be fine. However, subsequent trips to the Pediatrician, the Orthopedist, and MRI facilities at Children’s Hospital proved otherwise.
Torn miniscus, severed ACL, two surgeries, four months on crutches, nine month recovery. And just like that it was over. Twelve years of soccer practice, games, and tryouts.
Will she ever play again? We don’t know. It’s hard to imagine her not playing, but it will, of course, be up to her. I will support any decision she makes.
It’s taken a little while to see the silver lining on this one.
Yet, we’ve had a good bit of fun lying in bed watching movies, she plays all her favorite songs for me, and makes me watch funny videos on Instagram.
Of course, I’m waiting on her, making her favorite food, and hovering over her like she’s two years old again. Just like grade school, I make her lunch and drive her to school and then, I pick her up again.
We horse around in all the waiting rooms of the doctor visits. We laugh. We take funny videos of ourselves and send them to Paris in LA, she teaches me to use Snapchat, and I become an expert at this.
Now, Siena’s friends are at my house because Siena can no longer walk. I’m home again, and have long stretches of time to work, or rest. The hectic pace of the last year has been replaced with a calm and tranquil slowness. She will eventually heal. She has an amazing surgeon, and all will be well.
Happiness is a choice. You have to choose it and you have to fight for it.
Love and blessings to all.
Sydney 