But, I was a cheerleader!!

“But, I was a cheerleader!” I shouted behind me as I take off running preparing to do a round-off. I should mention I haven’t done one of these since I was in college.

I will forever be 21. I don’t care how many birthdays come and go, this isn’t going to change. I look in the mirror and don’t understand why the Wendy looking back at me looks like she will be 30 while the Wendy looking in the mirror is clearly 21. How can this be. I will buy a new mirror!

I can still do everything I did when I was 21. In my head, I can still do everything I did when I was 21. Just the other day I realized that it is “all of a sudden” taking me longer to walk the hill that is half the size of the hill I use to have to climb to get to school. “The hill must be as big or bigger but looks smaller now that I am all grown up!” I don’t acknowledge that I haven’t grown an inch since the sixth grade.

So I am off running across the yard to this amazing feat of cheerleader greatness! I am going to show my girls just how cool their mother still is.

“Crack!” What was that?? “Snap” What the hell?

In that moment, my arms went in the air. I was too far in the act of pulling off the amazing acrobatic gesture that I couldn’t stop. My knees kind of wobbled and banged together as they bent to propel me into space! And wham!! The ground.

I have no idea what happened. One minute I was bragging about my mad skills and the next fearing months of traction for the injuries I was sure to have just endured.

I am still 21. I can still do all the things I did when I was 21. My body just doesn’t believe me!