The ER trip

Last night was one of many little ER trips on which I have accompanied my children. I get the call while visiting my sis in law in the hospital with her newborn son. Just getting ready to shoot his nebeorn photos and my phone rings. My Husband: "Julie, when are you coming home?" Me: "Not for a while, just getting started." My Husband: "Oh. Well, we've had a little accident. (here is where I begin praying "let them be ok, let them be ok, let them be ok") Elaina is going to be ok. She and Ben were playing with sticks (Here is where I begin praying "not her eyes, not her eyes, not her eyes....") in the backyard and somehow she got a gash on her forehead that probably requires stitches or glue." Me: relieved. "Ok, why don't you bring her to this hospital and I will meet you in the ER." (Here is where I start thinking "plastic surgeon? right on her forehead...she looks great without bangs...but I guess if it looks bad she could wear bangs...") These thoughts are laced with much thankfulness that this is all I have to worry about, a little scar. So many people in the ER have soooo much more to worry about than a little scar. There is a woman in there with the most bruised face I have ever seen. There is a man with his head all wrapped up in gauze. There is another woman with a huge gash in her head that has been sewn shut. And here is where I pray Elaina will never have to be in the ER for any of these situations. So, I finish up the photos of my new little nephew, and then head down to the ER. Elaina looks great. The "gash" is just a half a centimeter, but does require some glue. We hang out in the waiting area with grandma and grandpa, get the glue, then head to Steak and Shake because a trip to the ER, however minor, requires ice cream afterwards. Grandma comments on my "calmness" during the situation. I can't help but think about one thing - If my husband's voice had been uncalm, or if my husband had said anything that made me worry about my child's real health, the situation would have been much different. These children are so precious. And they start out so small, like my new nephew, so dependent on us for their every need. We care for them and try so hard to keep them safe and still let them have fun. But the truth is, we worry constantly once they are out of our arms, out of that bubble we get to keep them in as newborns, that they will come to harm. So many "sticks" out there in the world...I pray that my kids just put the darn sticks down, and get some really good reflexes to avoid the "sticks" in their lives.