Christmas 2007 Part Two

I thought I'd post this separately from the rest of our Christmas adventures.

Half an hour after the family left, Matthew decided to jump off his bed, over a hurdle, and onto the floor. He hit the hurdle, turned to see what hit his foot, landed on his arm, and the rest is history.

We ran into the bedroom after hearing him scream, "I broke my arm!" Sure enough, it was obviously broken.

Three hours later, we returned from the ER with a splint and an unset arm. Matthew slept on a rollaway bed in the family room, and I slept by him on the couch.

We returned to the hospital this morning to have an orthopedic surgeon set his arm. He is now parked on the couch, sipping rootbeer floats, and watching movies I normally can't stand. He'll have his fill of Yu-Gi-Oh today, but we figure it's the least we can do for him.

He was a brave little soldier, and said that he knows why I tell them to not jump on the bed. A hard lesson learned, I guess, but he'll be okay.

It was interesting to ponder my thoughts while waiting in the ER. I sat in the waiting room and by Matthew's side, listened to him moan, and felt complete peace. Although he was injured, I knew he would be okay. Although the trips to the hospital racked up yet another medical bill, I wasn't worried because we have good insurance. I listened to the crying, coughing, and chaos surrounding us, and was happy to know we'd be returning to our home soon. We have a happy home, full of love, and that's all that matters.

Holding Matthew's hand as he fell asleep and seeing my wonderful 9 year old son reminded me of a Christmas morning nine years ago when he was born. The gifts under the tree remained unopened as we held our new son and reveled in the miracle of life. Santa Clause was completely forgotten, and we focused instead on the birth of our savior. I can honestly say that Christmas, 1998 was the best Christmas I have ever had. This year, as I reflected on how fortunate we really are, I again felt grateful for the blessing we have. Injuries are only small hiccups on the road of life, but sometimes they remind of us of what's really important.