Editor's Note   I can, and I can't   By Darcy L. Fargo

January 7, 2026

I didn’t think I could do it.

I loved karate. Jake joined first. I later joined because he needed help with certain skills, and I didn’t have those skills to share with him. I quickly grew to enjoy it. It was good exercise. It was good stress relief. It was good discipline. It was good for both of us.

Jake and I studied karate for years. I was eligible to test for my black belt, the highest rank in the karate belt system, a system that designates levels of mastery of specific skills, and Jake was nearing eligibility for a sort of junior black belt.

Then my hip became seriously problematic. Not long after that, our karate club shut down.

Fast forward five years, and I was the proud owner of two hip replacements. While I’m known for not following restrictions, there’s one restriction issued by my surgeon that I tend to follow – no hard contact sports.

I miss karate intensely, but even without the restriction, I was also convinced there was no way my aftermarket parts could twist the way they needed to for karate kicks. I just didn’t think I could do it!

For years, I didn’t try. I thought failing would make me grieve losing karate all over again.

Then, a couple of months ago, God brought me the grace of acceptance – accepting where I am on my healing journey, even if that means accepting failure and brokenness.

I decided to try kicking and punching a punching bag.

I was almost shocked to discover that I could do a couple kicks I thought would be impossible. Can I kick at my head level the way I could years ago? Not even close. But I can kick at shoulder level with one leg!

I was a little sad that I couldn’t do a few kicks I once loved, but my excitement at being able to do others far overshadowed that sadness.

I have a decal on my insulated water bottle that says, “you are exactly where God wants you to be.” I have it there because I’m the kind of person who always wants to be somewhere else – where I once was or where I think I should be, and I need the reminder. And I think God wants me to be the kind of person who embraces where I am now.

And with His grace, I’m pretty sure I can do it.