Broken

Our lives have been crazy busy and down right hectic lately. School started back up nine weeks ago. This is Violet's third year with Classical Conversations. We started the school year with gusto, excited to learn, to see old friends and make new ones. Violet was super excited, as was I, to know that she had the tutor she was hoping to get. Then several weeks ago, only our third week into the new school year, Violet took a nasty fall and broke her nose.

Nothing prepares you for accidents. There is no training manual for these things. Little falls, bumps and bruises, are one thing. It's a whole different ball game when the accident is bigger than that. And you can only hope and pray that you have some sort of grace during those times. I don't think I did. Shock hit me and the first moments after Violet's fall are a bit of a blur. I just remember the scream, knowing that it was my daughter, and the icy chill that ran straight through my chest. Without having seen her yet, I knew that my baby was hurt.

We were at a friend's home when Violet fell. It took a little while to discern the seriousness of Violet's injury. She was bleeding and the instinct to protect herself from further injury had kicked in. After what felt like an eternity passed, but in reality was only minutes, Violet finally let us see the damage. She was already swelling and bruising. I couldn't process things and therefore had to judge the severity of the situation by the reaction of my friend. It was only until we were leaving that I realized how badly Violet was hurt. I think the shock was starting to wear off.

Once in the car, and headed to Texas Children's Hospital West, I called Gregg. My calls kept going directly to his voice mail and panic started to set in. After several calls, I finally thought to call our neighbor and, after a brief run-down, she went to get him. Not exactly the way you want to let your spouse know someone has been hurt. I managed to tell Gregg what happened, where to meet us, and that Violet asked to please bring her beloved Flopsy. My beloved moved quickly because he got to the hospital while I was still filling out the paper work. The rush of relief upon seeing him walk in was so great that it reminded me of an old western - the hero walked in to save the day. Our daughter, who was quietly crying and trying not to draw attention to herself, crumbled in her Father's arms. And my heart finally began to beat in a normal rhythm. She and I weren't alone in this anymore.

We sat in an ice cold lobby for several hours, waiting for Violet's name to be called. It was close to 1 AM when she was taken back to a room. Another hour passed before we saw her doctor, who confirmed my worst fear, Violet's nose was indeed broken. We were sent home with care instructions and names of two doctors to call the next morning.

I'll share the rest of the story with you at a later date.