Women and Adversity: Who Needs a Finger?

I’m not selling body parts, but I was reminded this week how important every part of our body is.

I simply placed an iced-tea glass on the counter and it broke−−immediately slicing into the middle finger on my left hand. The blood didn’t stop flowing, so a trip to the E.R. was necessary.

Try typing with a splint on your finger. Try washing your hair or taking a shower when you have strict instructions not to get that finger wet. Drying your hair isn’t easier. The tetanus shot and numbing injection where the stitches are were enough to keep me in bed for two days. I had to cancel commitments and alter my calendar.

I thought of the people who have endured amputations and those born with body anomalies. We’ve seen them adjust to life without an arm or a leg, with a disfigured hand or no hand, with a chin that’s shifted far to one side thus prohibiting them from speaking clearly.

During my “recuperation” I am reading a lot and watching television more than usual, but in a few days the stitches will be gone, and I can continue writing my stories. Blood lost, a week of work lost. No deformity. No disability. I adjusted as best as I could and look forward to getting back to my normal life.

The disabled have to make tremendous adjustments. I’ve written about Illinois Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth before. She’s a role model for all women. Check her out at  www.duckworth.house.gov and www.biography.com/people/tammy–duckworth-21129571.