17th of May 2020
Time flies and I wrote this on my Facebook page 2017.
I am going to publish it here again because I feel more or less the same today.
At this time I had not written much in English for a while and my friend faraway asked me why? I wrote this for him and now I want him and everyone to remember.
This was after I broke my shoulder and arm and the physiotherapy was finished, the next task would be gymnasium. My doctor wanted to take photos to use while she was teaching and show the students how the patient could, with persistence and dedication, heal even more than expected.
17th May 2017
Yesterday I went to see my doctor and my modelling carrier began. She took some photos and now they will be shown to the students that want to be bone specialist or surgeons.
What more can I wish for?
Not much.
Then she asked me if I wanted to have more physiotherapy? I told her I wanted to move on and go to the gymnasium and the swimming pool.
My doctor is wonderful and she said that the people who wanted to continue the therapy did not want to get well but the others did.
It’s in the culture here to have a competition about who is most sick and it’s nourishing for the lonely ones but not good for recovery.
Anyway, while waiting for my turn yesterday in came 2 people. The man had a black beard all over his face and the only thing you could see was his forehead and eyes.
I am not good at recognising people but I was sure I knew this one. I looked at him and he looked at me and I said: I know you!
Yes you do! he said and hearing his voice did it.
Here was a friend from the gymnasium in Condeixa and we had not seen each other for 2 years. He is a police man, as so many of the ones I did train with. His wife was with him and we had a really good laugh and the people around us looked at us like we were from another planet.
We did not talk about our condition; we talked about life and the joy. He gave me some good advice on how to exercise. He is the expert and broke his leg while kick boxing. Our doctor had told him to use crutches but he did not! Of course not. He is a strong man, a police man ! His wife just shook her head and smiled. He is 185 and she is 145 but she takes care of him and makes sure he behaves as far as her authority reaches.
I came home, happy after the conversation and reunion with my friends, but had to accumulate my inner strength because now I knew the facts about my future. I did feel miserable and sad but in the morning my determination and believe that everything is possible reappeared on the horizon.
I love my life.
I am grateful for everything I have in my life and most of all I am grateful for all the wonderful people that I have got to know during these 7 months period.
I have learned a valuable lesson about the culture and the people of my country. A knowledge you can only get when walking with the people and experiencing their sorrow and pain.
The joy is there, we just have to find it. Sometimes it appears in a kiss on the cheek which is common here in my new land. Sometimes the joy is in a friendly smile to a stranger.
Sometimes it is just in the blue sky and even in the raindrops falling on your head.
The old man in the wheel chair smiled to me today.
The old lady with the crutches kissed me yesterday.
The nurse tried to learn some Icelandic and the therapist gave me hug.
I love life.
Hulda Björnsdóttir
My thoughts shared with you 