Perspective Graduate Course: Learn Fast

My Girl:

Ever have an event occur that causes you to step back and shed new light on a situation? I think many of us have, some more than one...I know they appear to me from time to time...

May 1st: Beautiful day in Jamestown, RI my 8yr old daughter is playing her favorite sport: Soccer.

About 10/15 minutes into the game she and another collided sending me to my feet. I usually have to see blood, or real evidence before I make a move/sound etc.....This was one of those times.

As her 4'3" body went into the air she hyper-extended instantly belting out a blood curdling scream that sends shivers down her spine into your toes. Mid-air she screamed grabbing her back landing onto her tailbone before flopping over to her stomach.

Standing at the sideline, I waited then her Coach looked at me and in my head "F**k!" My

daughter screams "Mommy help me!" Those that know her, she will hobble, bleed off a field before crying out.

She ended up being immobilized and taken to the Children's hospital by rescue....HOURS later discharged for a Sprained Spine .....WOW thank Goodness it was only sprain and nothing worse...She's walking, this is great...Right?....

In one aspect, her walking out was great, there were parents, family members, siblings being rushed in, and they were not leaving. There is nothing to slap you in the face more than to see another mother grieving for a child she can't save and won't be going back home with her.

I also saw children whose parents never gave a damn about them literally. They allowed unmentionable things to occur without any sense of humanity or love. Of course I squeezed my kids a little harder after being whiplashed into this perspective.

Unfortunately, my daughter did not just have a sprained spine. After two more mishaps that resulted in pediatric appointments, all day with radiologists we learned she has two compressed fractures. My heart I think actually bled for her...However, she is still here with me. So while it hurts it is bittersweet she is "OK" as best as can be. She is expected to recover well. I don't know when we will see her on the field again but I hope by end of the summer.

Here is my girl over two weeks later after the incident on the field. The brace remains on for at least 6-8 weeks perhaps longer. She is still very tender and sore at the site and each day is a day to remember what you have, take your chances, live each day and be aware of those lemons that roll your way...its the fruit you need to make your lemonade.