It was a magical vacation turned upside down for me, that – as these things always do – had big lessons embedded in it.

Two days into said honeymoon, the toenail on my left foot had an unfortunate and extremely painful encounter with a restaurant door (I’ll save you the gory details). This little incident ultimately landed me in the ER, in a whole lot of pain, and on crutches. What a way to start a honeymoon.

I like to think of myself as someone who handles life’s ups and downs with grace and poise. That image was shattered as I bitched, moaned, and threw one too many hissy fits. All because of a toenail. Sigh.

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Hidden in my despair, however, were some very important lessons:

• A renewed appreciation of the little things.  Aside from the occasional pedicure, toenails aren’t something I think about much. What a surprise to learn that such a little thing can quite literally stop me in my tracks. Never again will I take my toenails, for granted, and my bedtime ritual body sweep has been transformed into a million thank you’s for all the seemingly insignificant parts of me that are working properly.

• A newfound respect for those operating with physical constraints. It’s such a cliché how we take our ease of movement and physicality for granted. You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, right? Up until this point, as much as I tried to imagine life with physical challenges, I’ve never been able to empathize. I now have a small window of insight into that experience and my respect for the strength, tenacity, and endurance of those living immobilized and in pain has skyrocketed.

• The humility required to ask for and receive help. As someone who prides herself on her independence in all realms, physical and otherwise, I found this one the hardest to learn. What a complicated emotional exercise. The different layers of guilt, frustration, unworthiness, and fear of being perceived as weak were so thick and intertwined, I still haven’t untangled them all. Did I learn this fine art of receiving help? Not really. I tried, but mostly I learned how difficult it is.

• You get what you ask for, like it or not. I tend to move through life at lightning speed, with barely a moment to digest my present before dashing off to the next experience. I had declared this holiday a time to slow down, sleep, and spend endless hours reading and taking in the world. Of course our first two days into it had none of this quality as we rushed around Florence, trying to absorb the city over our brief three-day visit. It was this toe accident that brought us to a grinding halt, forcing me to sit for hours on end and to move at the slowest of paces. At first I fought it, mourning the long runs we’d planned for exploring the Tuscan countryside and the sexy Italian footwear I’d been wanting. But eventually I relaxed into it and have settled into a much, much slower pace. Despite myself, all thanks to my toe.

And so the biggest lessons were found in the littlest of things. What little things have taught you the most?