It was a battle, this first game of the series, and the score was tied. We both went up for a rebound. My husband, Mike, came down with the ball. I came down with a jammed finger, losing the rebound and going on to lose the game. Our driveway basketball games are quite intense!
I’ve had jammed fingers before, so I put ice on it throughout the day and waited for the swelling to go down. In the next few days I kept waiting for it to go back to normal and the bruising to fade. After a few weeks, I finally went and got it checked out. Much to my surprise, it was broken! Thankfully, it was aligned properly and healing. The physician’s assistant instructed me to buddy tape it.
In case you’ve never heard that term, buddy taping is when you bind an injured finger to the healthy finger next to it. The healthy finger acts as a splint to immobilize the injured finger, supporting and protecting it. I was also instructed to do finger exercises 3-4 times a day, to improve my broken finger’s movement and to keep the joints from getting stiff. I found that buddy taping really helped to keep my finger stabilized and to move it more. It also simply helped it feel better.
Just as I can be stubborn in seeking help for a physical injury, sometimes I resist asking for assistance with other things. I am learning to be more open to asking for help. We can all help each other. For example, right now, my whole family is helping with teaching our puppy. Puppy training is much better with two or more people. It’s also more fun!
We all need buddies. A buddy can help keep us going the right direction, can push us to go farther than we thought, can support us when we are weak, and so much more. We all have room to grow, and we grow best together. Who are your buddies? Do you allow them to help you? My best buddy, Mike, helps me become a better basketball player and a better person. I look forward to finishing and hopefully winning our basketball series as soon as my finger heals!
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
We can all help each other.
Part of the puppy training crew 
G-dad (Mike) giving Senna a short lift during the 5K 
Math night at school 
A moment at the park 
Kaylee kisses 
Kaylee hugs 
My three wonderful girl buddies! 
In case you wondered what buddy tape looks like 
Kaylee’s first park outing
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