The moment I set foot at home and jumped (okay maybe jumped is not the appropriate word here!) GOT into my own bed – everything felt somehow better. Neil and I swapped sides which allowed easy access to the loo. I’m feeling much stronger on my legs than when I returned from the hospital and getting the knack of walking around in the moon boots (okay they’re still hideous) but at least I can steady myself on them and manoeuvre my way around with the trusty crutches.

The downside is having to elevate my feet all the time. It’s extremely uncomfortable to lay in the same position during the course of the day and still hope to get a good night’s sleep. When I eventually get some shut eye, it’s only for a few hours before I’m restless and sitting up again.

Right now, going to the toilet appears to be the highlight of my day:). At least I get to leave the confines of my bed and while away time on the toilet – reading a magazine of course. I even managed to give myself a wash from the hand basin in the children’s bathroom, which is kudos to me:). I feel exceedingly guilty that my family have to take on my responsibilities together with their own – so helping myself in small ways helps me to feel good and improves my independence.

On Saturday, my friend Kim came round to visit and I was over the moon. She is a running friend and when we get to talking about running, there’s no stopping us! I miss running with her, all the fantastic training runs we shared together and all the wonderful races we competed in. We were all set to run the Cape Town marathon before injury side-lined me. If fate had not stepped in, we would have conquered the marathon and would be focussing on the next big race. I revealed to her that I was more determined than ever now to run another marathon (which would be my first) for it was ripped from my hands like a coveted sweet stolen from a kid!

I further disclosed that when I was fully recovered, I wanted to train for more marathons – eventually leading up to the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon and setting my sights on the mother of all races… Comrades!!! I never in a million years thought I would ever consider training for a marathon, let alone Ultra or even Comrades for I never was one of those ambitious athletes, always sticking to my comfort zone – that being 21km races. But once the seed was planted by our Coach to test your limits and train for a marathon – a force overtook me. Initially I was terrified as to whether I had what it took to run the distance and whether my body would cope with the pressures it brought along. But as the training progressed and longer distances were introduced, I found I myself becoming stronger and fitter as my body grew accustomed to pushing limits it never knew existed. Running truly is a mind sport – what the mind conceives, the body can achieve. Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of my control, I had to pull out of the marathon. That is when tough decisions had to be made to lay off running and sort out my injuries and bunions once and for all. I really do believe I’ll come back stronger than before – for I WANT it so much more.

So Kim reminds me of my future goals and she truly is one of the best runners’ to train with. She has tons of experience when it comes to running – she eats, sleeps and breathes running. I admire her ability to place her own goals aside to help others – to nurture newbies on the road, to motivate us when we struggle with poor performance and pathetic times – she always has our best interests at heart. She will always hold a very special place in my soul and gives me renewed hope that we will run those epic races together and nothing would bring me more joy:).

Then my dear friend Jaya came by in the evening and when we get to chatting, the hours just while away. We share such a rich history together – having been friends since high school. We are of the same age, share similar interests such as fashion, music, dancing, health, writing, the list goes on and on. A striking quality that shines brightly within her is all the LOVE she  freely shares with those around her. She’s also the ultimate nurturer, going out of her way to care for those around her, especially when they need it most. I have learnt so much from her during the years, valuable lessons that have improved my relationships with family members and friends. It felt so good talking about life, hiccups at work and upcoming holidays.

The next day saw Jaya dropping by preparing a full Sunday lunch for us – on the Menu was Rice, Chicken Curry, Raso, Squash with Creamed Sweetcorn and a delicious salad. Mmm it was yummy, just as a home cooked Sunday meal is supposed to be. Neil dished up a huge plateful for me and I’m embarrassed to say to that I gobbled it all down – licking my lips with satisfaction. All I could do for the rest of the afternoon was laze around on the bed with my tummy protruding out of my PJ’s:).

Normally Sunday evenings is a hive of activity in the Singh residence – which usually sees me whipping up lunches for the following day, scurrying to pack the washing away, taking out clothing for work and school, attire for exercising, the list goes and on. But not this Sunday – whilst everyone was frantically getting things done, I was sitting and watching a movie with not a care in the world. Watching movies is a luxury to me, for I never had the time amongst the gazillion things that needed to be done.

I now have all the time in the world to relax, surf the internet, watch reality series like the Kardashians and finally watch all those PVR movies my kids have been recording for rainy days. Yip, this lazing around is going to do me the world of good – no traffic, no work stress, time to reflect, visits to be enjoyed, books to be read and stories to be written. So the Lesson learnt today – appreciate the setbacks, for if they didn’t happen – you might not have seen the silver lining…