I took a walk around the neighborhood with my family on Monday evening.

It might seem like a mundane thing, just an effort to get some fresh air and occupy our toddler for a bit, but for me, it was a moment of liberation. One year ago, on Nov. 29, I fell down the stairs at home and broke my left foot in three places.

I was holding my daughter, who was four months old at the time, when I fell. The whole incident happened quickly, but the “mama bear” instincts came in and I knew: someone was going to get hurt, and I couldn’t let that someone be my baby. So, I took the fall, leaning back to protect my little girl. She giggled, thinking it was a fun ride down the stairs, and was completely unharmed.

I, on the other hand, was not so lucky. During the fall, I landed on my left foot. My husband had just gotten home from the grocery store and was hauling in bags when he came in and saw the scene.

“You can’t scream, or you’ll upset the baby,” he told me.

I couldn’t stand and certainly couldn’t walk. As I hopped to the living room and propped up my foot, I knew: something wasn’t right. So, after the swelling did not go down and the pain did not subside, we loaded up the car and went to the emergency room.

Crossing “nursing a baby in the emergency room, with an untreated broken bone, during a pandemic” off my bucket list was quite the experience, but nothing compared to the next four months.

There was no way for me to care for an infant alone on crutches, so we packed up the car and moved to Vicksburg, temporarily. My in-laws welcomed us into their home with open arms and made sure I was comfortable as I healed. Our little girl crawled for the first time in Vicksburg. She said “Mama” and “Dada” for the first time, and started solid foods here, too.

I was forced to relinquish a lot of things: pride, control, independence, expectations. While that wasn’t exactly enjoyable, I like to think I’m better for it. While very little of the last year went as I anticipated, Vicksburg ended up being the perfect backdrop for many of my family’s “firsts.”

I’m certainly better having moved to Vicksburg for good, even if I did have a lingering limp for much of my first month at The Post.

So yes, on Monday we took a walk. But for me, it was so much more than a stroll around the block. It was a moment to thank God for mobility, for family and for good health.