Baby Steps

Never in a million years would I have guessed seeing Mouse walk around the apartment could make me cheer. But, when he took his first crutch-less stroll around our living room yesterday, I did just that. It didn’t matter our apartment is small, or his steps were tentative and unsteady; it was cause for celebration. It’s ironic how drastically our lives have changed since that fateful day in Byron Bay. In February, I was pushing him to make it to the top of Mt. Taranaki. Now, I’m pushing him to walk two laps around the living room. It’s disturbing how one random wave completely rearranged our priorities. It won’t be like this forever, though. It could have been so much worse. Eventually, this accident and its aftermath will prove to be no more than a small speed bump in our lives; a story we repeat at dinner parties or family gatherings. This week, it’s a lap around our living room. Next week, he will be walking around the block. We will be back to our old, adventurous selves soon. We will be climbing mountains and swimming around the reef, barely remembering any of this. But, for now, we need to take it slow. For now, I’m just going to have to be satisfied with the small victories.