I sat on the pier, watching the sun dip below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. The fish were playing in the water, jumping and splashing, carefree and content. But I was not like them – I was burdened with pain.
I was wrenched out of my thoughts by a sharp stabbing pain from my big toe, and quickly dipped it back into the water. The cold shock wiped away most of the discomfort, and the thoughts wandered back in. I reflected on my life: the choices I had made, the paths I had taken.
I looked down at my feet, at the discoloured, thickened nails that were a source of my pain – fungal nails, the podiatrist had called them, as she’d chided me for my carelessness. I couldn’t help but think of all the times I had neglected my health, all the times I had put my work and responsibilities before my well-being.
The wind picked up, blowing my hair into my face, and I closed my eyes, letting the fresh sea breeze wash over me. I thought of the people I had hurt, the relationships I had damaged, and the opportunities I had missed. Had I really been so focused on the future that I had forgotten to live in the present?
The sun gently disappeared behind the horizon, and the cold night rushed in to take its place. I made a resolution, in the growing dark – I would no longer be a victim of myself. No more failing relationships, no more metaphorically-significant toenail conditions – treatment near Cheltenham was the only way forward, for both.
I knew that I couldn’t change the past, but I could choose to make the most of the present. I vowed to take better care of my health, to be more mindful of the people I loved, and to live each day to the fullest. With a lighter heart, I stood up.
The fish had stopped jumping, and the pier was silent except for the sound of the water lapping against the wooden posts.