For those of you who haven’t seen me limping around the hallway, I have a major gymnastics injury. On Jan. 21, I crushed my tibia, tore my lateral collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments and ripped off the meniscus of my left knee at gymnastics practice. I was on crutches for three months.

You learn a lot about people by how they treat you when you need them most. In all honesty, I had very little faith in people before. I’m cynical. However, I will tell you that I have more belief in the goodness of people now than ever before, simply because they helped me when I was down… literally.

First of all, the truest friends you can have are the ones who never get tired of helping you. I was very dependent on others while on crutches; I couldn’t get my own lunch tray or carry anything really, and the truest testament to friendship is the one who jumps up to help every single time for three months straight. Saying thank you to them can never communicate how grateful I am.

Also, sometimes the kindest people in the world are the ones you haven’t met yet. I was approached by a complete stranger when watching the regional championships I was supposed to be competing in. He was very obviously Russian or Eastern European, based on his accent, and he had some trouble finding words. However, he asked me what happened and how I was doing, if I would ever be able to do gymnastics again and if he could help me in any way.

The thing that I remember the most, though, is what he said when he left. “God bless you,” he told me. It was really beautiful for someone who had no reason to care for me at all to offer his thoughts and prayers to a complete stranger.

I have learned that no matter how low I feel and how painful things get, there is always something new and exciting around the corner. Even when I thought I had hit rock bottom, there was always someone there for me. My coaches and teammates surrounded me when I fell. My dad was there during my first emotional breakdown after surgery. And my mother, braved every hospital and doctor appointment, every mood swing and every painful moment.

And though this chapter has closed for me (I will not recover in time to do gymnastics again), I have to say that I do not regret a single moment of my gymnastics career, including the few seconds before I hit the ground and my life was changed. I spent a decade of my life doing the most impossible, frustrating, painful and wonderful activity. I loved gymnastics. And I still love it, so losing it will always be a bit of a hole in my heart.

I won’t lie. This whole injury thing really bites. But waking up every day knowing that I can walk with minimal pain is a blessing. Knowing that one day I will be able to run and jump again is encouraging. And knowing that I have an entire support base of people who care, well, that’s the greatest gift of all.

Maddie Mayhew is the Online Editor for The Spartan Speaks