An Ode to my Ligament

I had a thought this week...after discussing the nature of my ankle with my latest doctor. She told me that my ligament was gone for good, and it made me very sad in that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye. And then it made me think back to the many good years that this ligament had served me, when it could've left earlier but chose to stick (literally) by my side (or to my bones I suppose)...it could've given out while I was climbing on glaciers in New Zealand (that would've sucked ass), could've prevented me from the many massive moves I've made over the past ten years, given out in the ocean while trying to surf, on the river wakeboarding in Australia. So in thinking about these minor catastrophes having been avoided, I concluded that while I'm sad my ligament has decided to vacate at this moment, perhaps I should be also be grateful that it was such a loyal comrade up until July. 

This ligament loss also got me to thinking about how amazing it when we come into this world with all these different body parts functioning as they are supposed to, and that so many of them can last us as long as they do. I got almost 30 years out of this ligament...and so far out of every other body part I came in with. That's pretty cool I suppose. Kind of miraculous if you think about it, given how much torment we seem to put all these different pieces through along the way. But I must say, it does feel weird to know that one of those pieces that was with me for 29 years is not gone for good. Boo. :(  

And so, dear ligament, my overly verbose and nostalgic ode in your honor...I toast you for the 29 years you gave me of soccer playing, adventures around the world, comfortably bendy yoga poses and the like, and say you will be missed! And here's to hoping that all the other feet/ankle muscles I'm trying to build up through PT now can come close to your exemplary performance.