It's finally begun. And it took volunteering at Vacation Bible School to make all the tell-tale signs come together into one concise message - "I'm not as young as I used to be." Maybe concise isn't the right word. Because I could also say the message my body is telling me is "I'm not as young as you think I am."
I'm not fishing for support or kind words (or sarcastic admonition from those older than me). I'm just recording the event.
The morning after the first night of VBS, I was pretty relieved with how little soreness I had from jumping, twisting, and waving my arms about. The second night, I came home and took an Aleve. This morning (after the third night), I woke up and was surprised to find that my knees sounded like doors on a haunted house. My left shoulder ached so badly, I could hardly open the Aleve bottle. And my left achilles tendon...well, let's just say it tried to talk my left shin and calf into retaliating against me for grave injustices.
But, I have to tell you this - even if I have to run through the Emergency Room on Friday night after VBS is over; it'll be so worth it. That sea of little faces smiling and dancing and jumping around having fun come back to me every time I take a step and my knees threaten anarchy.
Tonight, I'll give my whole body a Braveheart soliloquy before VBS. And tomorrow, I'll ask Chad to open the Aleve bottle, get two out, drop them into my mouth, and pour some water down my throat. Because I won't be able to move. At all.
Then, when my body laughs derisively at me and says, "I told you you are older than you think you are." I'll respond with, "I know you are, but what am I?"
