My hill

Did you know that tobogganing is both hazardous to your health and good for your soul?

On Saturday evening I was enjoying myself - playing as if I were 12 years old again - you know... laughing, sliding, skidding down hills covered with fresh snow. And then I decided to follow my adventurous hubby down a very short, but very steep hill with a bit of a ramp (read: big bump) at the bottom.

I watched A. and he made it down over that bump, no problem. In fact, he made it look incredibly fun. As I watched him whizz down that hill, all I could think was "I want to do that!!!"

So I quickly ran up the hill and sat myself down on the round, plastic lid that toboggan companies seem to be able to pass off for an actual sledding device. Then I gave myself a little push and off I went! It was incredible! There I was - picking up speed, laughing as I got turned around and went down partially backwards. I watched the bump at the bottom of the hill approach faster and faster and thought to myself "I'm going to make it! I'm going to fly over that bump and make it! I can just feel it!"

It was at the moment that I hit the bump that I knew I was probably not going to make it.

I felt myself go airborne and vaguely remember the sled completely stopping. But I kept going. In what felt like slow-motion, my body got thrown forward and I soared through the air in a spread-eagle formation. (When I replay it in my mind, I'm very graceful). Next thing I knew, I landed face down in the snow.

It was quiet for just a moment before everyone around me erupted into laughter. And then I joined in. I full-on joined in, laughing at how fun and silly that moment was.

And even now, with my intense rib injury that seems to hurt when I make even the slightest of moves, I'm so thankful for that moment. That moment that I got to be a kid again. Where I laughed and laughed - not at a joke or a movie or anything like that. But just because I was sliding down a hill.

It's the simplest things in life that remind you how easy it is to be happy. I hope you find your hill, too.