Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Like any other Thursday I gathered my sheet music and CDs and headed out of the office around 4:30. Making my way over to church I parked my car and set the emergency brake taking care to grab all that I needed for rehearsal. The newly finished lobby brimmed with the evening sun coming through the wall of windows; there was no need to turn on any lights. Stepping into the auditorium cast a shade of pure darkness fell over me as the door shut behind me taking all the light from the lobby with it. Allowing my eyes to adjust to the sudden change in perspective I thought over how I would make my way backstage.

Slowly walking my way up the isle, familiar with the 3 foot width, I reached for the stage with intentions to follow along the edge to the stairs that I knew were on the far wall. With my hand out in front of me, following the stage, confusion suddenly hit only seconds before pain. Doubling over I sensed my muscles and nerves sending messages to my brain although I didn't understand why. Throwing both hands out in front of me frustration added to my confusion as the blackness through out the room maintained it's presence and I couldn't see where I was putting them. Letting out a cry of pain I heard my sunglasses go flying out into the black pitted abyss. The tips of my fingers registered something hard as my hips and thighs took in gravity and made contact with the same object as my fingers many times over. Slowly my brain put all the pieces together and mentally formed stairs. Grasping in the darkness, for what I'm not sure, I hoped for anything that would help me find some sense of balance. The blackness was confusing my brain as to what was up/down/ right or left and I threw all sense of grace away, like my sunglasses across the room somewhere, and landed with a genuine SPLAT.

Jolting to a halt my elbows and forearms made contact with cold concrete that I couldn't see. A burst of color flashed across my eyes like a firework display as more muscles and nerves shot messages of pain to my brain. My head bobbed and I could feel my feet in the air held up by a foreign object although I couldn't see either the object or my feet. What lasted only seconds had felt like ten minutes.

Breathing and moving slowly I lowered my feet to what I hoped was the ground and turned my hips right side up. Nervously I placed my hands on the concrete and searched for the object in question. Stairs. When did they put stairs on the front of the stage, this is new, why are they here, for the special service, I don't have a concussion, can I walk, MAN that hurt. My thoughts began to come tumbling out of no where as quickly as the staircase I just hit. Carefully, I crawled up the stairs taking care to place each hand and foot firmly before dropping my full weight.

Believing that the fall/crash/ incident hadn't been that bad I placed all the music and CD's where they needed to go and limped my way back out to my car.

2 weeks later and the bruise that slowly formed still looks nasty and feels like I just bumped it.

3-2-1 Blast Off

Oh the joys of having a boy!
My little monkey is just that; a moving, wiggling, and JUMPING around monkey
Most have heard the story of him jumping off our couch just before he turned 4 months old and last Tuesday he attempted yet another death defying leap only this time it was out of my arms.

Having only been home from work for a few minutes I took a second to say hello to my hubby and put my things down before reaching for my ever smiling little monkey. Like almost all other nights he met me with smiles and wiggles of excitement as I reached to pick him up for a snuggle and kiss on the forehead. Taking only a moment to chatter to him about his day I then settled in to hear my hubs tell me a story about work, the little monkey still in my arms. Paying close attention to the details of the story caused a slight distraction to the monkey in my arms giving him the split second opportunity he needed. Before I could form a thought to say NO his feet were flat on my side, his back was arched, and he was plummeting head first to the floor. With cat like reflexes, that I firmly believe all mothers received at the birth of their child, I turned and caught the monkey by the ankle only 6 inches from the floor. My heart stopped and for a split second my vision blurred. I couldn't tell if I had caught him or not. Brandon brought me back to the present with a "Nice catch!" before continuing with his story, never missing a beat. I stared at the child in my hand and sighed as I heard him let out a laugh that came from deep depths of his belly and watched as he wiggled in an attempt to make it happen again. With a death grip on his ankle I lifted and turned him right side up. His face was lit with a smile and his body radiated pure excitement and joy even as my breathing was still coming fast. I took a tighter hold on him as I turned to Brandon and explained that he would have to stop talking; I needed a moment. Even as he reassured me that everyone and everything was OK I still had to force my breathing to slow and return to normal.

Taking in the smiles from everyone in the room I calmed and allowed Brandon to finish his story. I did not however release my tight hold on my little monkey. With one arm around his back and locked onto his leg and the other set firmly under his armpit I made sure he stayed put for the rest of the story, despite his attempt to wiggle and launch again.

While I had yet another almost heart attack my son and husband brushed off the event like it was an everyday occurrence. This child is going either be the death of me OR will strengthen my heart so much that I'll never die! If I have to live with moments like that for the rest of my life I'm not sure which I would prefer. :) The difference between boys and girls was made more than obvious that night and I learned I have a lot of learning to do when it comes to raising a son!