My spirited toddler

I had been fortunate growing up. I had no surgeries or broken bones. So when my toddler fell off of our computer chair Tuesday, I was baffled at how such a short fall could cause her to break her elbow. V is very strong, and seldom cries, so I knew something terrible was wrong by her reaction to the fall. I tried to console her, which usually always works, but this day she did not want me to touch her at all. She told me in her sweetest voice ever "my arm doesn't work anymore, it's broken, call the ambulance." :( :(
We made our way to the ER. Every ounce of my baby was in pain, and resistant to touch or movement that may disrupt her comfortably uncomfortable state. For having her elbow broken, she was being very brave, and was in great spirits when not being tampered with.
I could not believe how fast this had all happened, and how sorry I had felt for her. I just wanted to take on her pain. All I could do was lay with her, caress her hair, tell her I would not leave her side, and that it would be over soon. In some ways it reminded me of being with a woman in labor. Ever present in the moment, one breath at a time, not thinking about the past, or focusing on what may come up in the future.
As with each fall in our life, it is meant to be. And we must surrender to the lesson, if we ever find meaning in one. As cliché as this sounds, even in the midst of the fear, crying vomit and what seemed like a never ending waiting time, we were together as a family. And we had everything that we actually needed in that moment.

Veda painting the morning of

Cuddled up in her blanky and unable to wear a shirt