After the ten-hour surgery Dr. Wiss performed to take out the broken pieces of titanium and replace them with the rod, I, of course, called the pathology department to ask if I could have all that metal. After all, according to what was billed to our insurance company, it was approximately $62,000 worth of titanium, and I was planning on keeping it to make a couple of bracelets, one for each of my daughters. After my millionth call to the pathology department, I think they finally got sick of me and agreed to send it to my hospital room.
To my surprise, the collection didn’t come in a cute little gift bag, but a gallon-sized plastic bag filled with two long pieces of metal and about twenty-five screws that still had reminisce of blood. Some of the screws were about three inches in length, some only one inch, and most of them were broken. It looked more like something you would find at a hardware store rather than a hospital.
When I was finally able to do things on my own again, I cleaned the metal and made a trip down to the local jewelry store to see about having those bracelets made. Unfortunately, the jeweler informed me the bracelets couldn’t be made because the metal was too hard to bend. I was left feeling a little disappointed, but at the same time a little like a superhero for breaking the metal in the first place.
A long time passed and I had almost forgotten about the bag of broken metal completely. But one day last week, I decided to do some spring cleaning and found the crumpled bag tucked all the way in the back of my desk, and an idea came mind. I gathered some fishing line, a beautiful feather, a sparkly crystal, the piece of driftwood my husband had given me engraved with “I love you just the way you are,” and all the broken titanium. I sat outside and enjoyed the warm sunlight on my face and the smell of the sweetheart rose bush that was in full bloom. I tied the feather, crystal, and broken pieces of titanium to the driftwood to create the most unique and expensive wind chime I had ever seen. I was so proud.
I hung it under the lemon tree where I knew I would be able to see and hear it most. I then sat back and took notice of how the feathers danced with the slight breeze and I listened to the beautiful, sweet sound the titanium that once held my leg together now made. It reminds me that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations and in life sometimes it takes a little grit along with God’s grace to get through the most challenging times. And ever since that fateful day on my motorcycle life has often been so difficult and so painful at times, but I have transformed into the best version of my myself despite it all. I am grateful for the positive shift in my perspective, the faith and hope I’ve found, and the courage to get back up time and time again. This wind chime reminds me to touch my wounds with forgiveness and view my scars as a mosaic of battles I have won. What I know now is anything is possible.
