thankful

I just watched, helplessly, as Rachel tumbled down the stairs below me.  One of the scariest moments of my life.

She had just gotten ready for bed and was all excited about a new nightgown she was wearing and wanted to show Daddy.  I told her to hurry up, and sat down on her bed to wait for her to come back so I could read her her story.  She started quickly down the first couple of stairs and then I heard thumping.  It took a second to register what was happening, and when I realized she was falling I bolted out of her room to the top of the stairs.  When I got to the top I saw her tumble, sideways, curled up in a ball, down the last 1/3 of the stairs to the very hard ceramic tile at the bottom.  I ran down as fast as I could and scooped her up in my arms.

It took her a few seconds to make any sound.  She cried, but not too much.  She was more scared and shaken up than anything.  Her leg and shoulder hurt, she said.  But she could walk and move everything okay. 

Then I started crying.

So thankful.


(Now if I can only get the image of her falling out of my head.

She has some pretty bad rug burns on one leg and a big bruise developing on her shoulder.  It could've been sooooo much worse.)