Blessing in Disguise -
just may be the perfect course correction

Broken ribs two days before Christmas--a blessing in disguise?

Could three broken ribs be, in fact, a message from Spirit triggering a constructive course correction in my life?

I found an evocative description of 'course correction'  on Northwestern University's website: "When a spacecraft gets off of its trajectory, or path through space, it must be put back on the right path. The location of the spacecraft is determined and its course vector (the speed and direction of its flight) is calculated. This is compared with the path it should be on. A new vector is computed that will put it back on course. The ship's attitude thrusters aim the ship and the main thruster pushes it along the path."

Blessing in disguise thanks to 'zombie' game with my kids.

But, seriously? Broken ribs as a message from Spirit, a new vector putting me back on course? What?!  Well, let me tell you my story and see if maybe you'll concur.  It was two nights before Christmas Eve.   My kids begged me (honestly!) to play a 'zombie' game with their friends and them, kind of a version of 'capture the flag' (in this case, a glow stick), played in the dark using dart guns to tag rival team members.

When I agreed to join the game, I was immediately elected VIP (I have always thought I would kind of like this designation!).  My 'teammates' were holding off the zombies while I dashed in to the family room where the glow stick was located. I started to head back to the goal at other end of the house. Meanwhile, my teammates, unfortunately, were nabbed by the 'zombies'.  Now it was just up to me.  They hollered 'run'! 

Well, unbeknownst to me, one of the kids had re-positioned a big, big easy chair with substantial, very hard arm rests to use it as a hiding place for ambush tactics.

Blessing in disguise started out hurting like heck.

While I was darting this way and that to evade the 'zombies', I veered at full speed to the left, attempting to go around the approaching cluster with outstretched 'zombie' arms reaching for me.  This is when I encountered the big, big easy chair which was where it was not supposed to be!  I tripped on the front of it and landed HARD on the armrest.  I could swear I could hear a crunch, but I probably was just feeling the sensation reverberate throughout my body.  The air whooshed out my lungs, and I rolled to the floor.  I knew instantly that I had broken something and in panic wondered if I could take a breath in. 

It was obviously the end of that round. As I was tentatively taking inventory of my body condition, the kids were whooping and hollering as they recapped their latest maneuvers. They stopped to inquire (rather casually I thought!) whether I was all right.  It didn't take long for them to realize this was not just a little spill.  Unfortunately... the mood of the rest of the evening was pretty subdued.  My mishap had kind of put a damper on their game-playing for the rest of the evening.  I slowly negotiated my way up off the floor and into the next couple of days...the pain very slowly subsided and my body repaired itself for the next 6 months.  Has anyone told you how much a broken rib hurts?!!

The reason for telling this little disaster story is I that have had some time to consider the 'why' and truly see it as a blessing in disguise.  As I had been daily affirming, 'I see only order and constructiveness all about me'....why in the heck did I take this nasty spill and put myself out of commission for awhile?

Appreciating a blessing in disguise may require a sense of humor.

Immediately, I knew that I had been 'overheard' when I had told friends and family during the preceding week or two that I wanted to have a vacation- a stay-at-home vacation-a 'stay-cation' as a friend of mine put it.  I thought this was, in some ways, rather humorous on the part of the Universe.

I would not be going anywhere for a good while.  I would not be able to do all of the projects which would normally have sidetracked me from what I was 'supposed to be' doing--something that my Soul and I knew I needed to be doing if I was going to be aligned with my affirmative thoughts of order and constructiveness!

I began to see this misadventure as an effective 'course correction'.  I was being given notice by my Higher Self that I had soul commitments to keep that I had been ignoring.

Sweet tender loving care came cloaked in this blessing in disguise.

Right off the bat I grasped the significance of my first piece of good fortune that came cloaked within my blessing in disguise. I was given the chance to appreciate how my family rallied beautifully to the occasion making this Christmas season so full of love and fun even if Mom was completely incapacitated.  I was waited on hand and foot.  The traditional menu was kept but with revisions and simplifications.

We watched movies (I received the whole Batman collection in Blu Ray), making sure we didn't watch any movies that made me cry or laugh--too painful!  

My family's sensitivity and tender loving care touched me deeply.

Course correction was the huge payoff from this blessing in disguise.

As far as appreciating the course-correcting aspect of my blessing in disguise, I began noticing that the community to which I had committed a lot of my time and energy for years was not very forthcoming with the love, support, check-ins, etc., that I would have expected.  This is not a 'make-wrong'--I truly understood how everyone is so busy and involved with day-to-day lives.  It was just a 'noticing'. Besides, we live about 45 minutes from everyone and it would not have been easy to pop across town with a visit, etc.  (I was genuinely moved and grateful for the family who did come to visit one evening and brought dinner!)

Firstly, I began affirming that I am surrounded by those who love and support me.  Secondly, I took a deep look at and inventory of my life, taking stock of my responsibilities going forward. 

Without rancor, I recognized that the time I had invested into supporting this community had taken a lot of time and energy away from what was really important to me.  I had been distracted from what I see are my soul's true commitments, including self-care!  I guess had thought what I was contributing to the community was indispensable.  Hah!  How we fool ourselves. I had been trying to do it all and, in may respects, for the wrong reasons.

Reaping the rewards from the blessing in disguise.

Since then, I have been choosing to redirect my attention to those things that are most important to me, my kids' schooling, playing with my kids, self-care, my writing, my pets, my family, my gardening, my work.  I have been systematically reducing or eliminating those commitments in which I had thought my participation was indispensable, yet had me so over-extended. Now when I give of my time and energy I want to do so with a cheerful heart!

I saw this experience for the gift that it was.  Time when I was forced to stay put.  Time when I could re-evaluate the choices I had made, and make the changes that serve me and my family.  Time when I could do what I love doing and give priority to my soul commitments--especially my writing and learning to do it better.  

All of this without rancor or judgment.  Just love and gratitude.  And as I move forward I expect further clarity and appreciation for more course corrections even if they come as a blessing in disguise!

Freeing up some of my time has allowed me to commit to regular video game-playing with my son.  I didn't know it would be such a blast, full of life lessons, and another blessing in disguise!

Counting my blessings in disguise with gratitude!!

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Site updated  March 28, 2025