Sometimes I find myself stuck in a sense of “limbo” between one holiday and the next.
Still, I find that feeling lingering when it comes to any events that require me to be away from the house.
We’re still in the middle of wrapping up Christmas decorations, taking down trees, and prepping for the next big to-do.
Usually, that means Valentine’s Day, but, sometimes we just skip it and decorate the house for Easter and generic “spring” items instead.
While the definition of limbo is “an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state or condition” – I’m not sure that exactly describes the whole feeling.
Several of my friends and I share various chat groups across several social media platforms.
Most of the time, we just share funny videos, memes or keep each other updated on life events in a short broadcast format.
It’s easier to shoot a message off to the whole group than to text people individually anyway.
In fact, my siblings and I have family group chats with ourselves and with mom.
That, plus the usual tagging on Facebook helps us maintain our connections.
But, that still doesn’t account for my other stalled feelings when in between things.
After a bit of digging and poking around on the Internet, I’ve finally found a phrase that fits my feelings best.
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the word “liminal” but it comes from the Latin word “limen” which means threshold.
A liminal space is a time between ”what was” and “what’s next” or it could be a place of transition, a time of waiting and not knowing the future.
I’m certain that feels better than just calling my current state “limbo!”
This concept is experienced by everyone at some point in their lives and some people also tolerate it better than others, experts say.
And psychologically, it can have positive or negative ramifications in the end.
With further introspection and hyper-focus research, those experiencing liminal space have recently undergone a recent life change.
Those changes can leave a person feeling completely overwhelmed, confused, discomforted, and stuck with a sense of uncertainty.
And all of that sounds like some anxiety fuel to me!
But, by that definition, I don’t know if September 23 counts as “recent” anymore, but it definitely changed and impacted my life.
That’s the day I broke my right fibula and tore the ligaments in my corresponding ankle – definitely a bit traumatic!
Now, as of this week, my doctor has told me I can put full weight on my leg and ankle and has ordered physical therapy for six weeks – maybe I won’t have this strange stuck feeling much longer.
Still, I’ve kept you all updated along with close friends and relatives.
And there’s finally slow movement out of the liminal space and I have tangible goals.
They might still be on the painful and annoying side, but I have them and I look forward to meeting them all the same.
