Blessings

I’m a normally twitchy person.

When I hear loud thuds in the house (any house I live in) I react like a first responder.  I hop up and investigate.  Did something fall?  Did something fall ON someone?  Did SOMEONE fall?  Are they okay?  Any bruises, bumps, cuts, concussions?   Behaving this way often has me yelling out “YOU OKAY?” before I hop up.  Earl is loud with his dealings in the kitchen and it seems that no matter how well organized we keep our cupboards, everything is designed to fall on us sometimes.  So I instantly do a wellness check because washing dishes sounds like he’s turned over the whole dish rack and it’s come crashing to the ground.   Or if he’s in there frying something I keep an extra vigilant eye.

I’ve always believed in Murphy’s law because it’s just… reared its head into my life way too many times for me to not be aware that it may interfere with my regular dealings in life.  If it can go wrong… it will.   So be prepared.

Raising Athena has come with many caveats for her because I play things all the way to the end in 1000 different scenarios.  It’s very Dr. Strange.  I am trying to lead her down the path of least resistance, highest positive outcome, and low risk.   So it’s a lot of “careful when you do this…” “don’t hold scissors that way…” “watch the way you hold that…” “don’t run with_____ in your hands” “watch your steps going down the stairs…”  I’m sure it’s a drag.    But I can’t afford bad shit to happen to my one and only baby.

All that said, sitting at my desk doing massive amounts of work last night, Earl had taken it upon himself to get her bath started and he was in the kitchen as well getting dinner under way.   I’m typing away, completely absorbed with the dealings of the moment.   Then… THUD.  A big one… a deep one… it wasn’t dishes…

“YOU OKAY???” I screamed in the direction of the kitchen, sure it was Earl.  And he actually responded, “I’m ok… what was that?”  And I waited to hear Athena dismiss me with “I’m OK, mom!” like she always does.  But it didn’t come.  I heard a groan and I shot towards the bathroom.  Through the crack in the door, I saw Athena’s legs laid out on the bathroom mat.   She’d slipped coming out of the bathtub.  She hit her leg, her chest, and her tummy.  No blood.  No visible bruise.  The area just below her left shoulder was a little red and swollen.   Spot on her shin looks like it’ll be a doozy of a black and blue.  She did NOT hit her head. There was no open wound.

It flashed through my head the 1000 different scenarios where this night could have gone… COMPLETELY LEFT.  And I’ve been praying prayers of thanks ever since.  My girl is intact.  She slept well.  Doesn’t even feel the bumps on her chest or tummy.  The one on her shin hasn’t even blacked up.

I’m… so grateful.  Like… I can’t stop thinking about it.   I’m always looking for the other shoe to drop.  So being graced with this favor is making me pretty emotional.   I know I can be over the top.  But probably because I’ve walked down the thousand paths of how things could have ended up so much worse and I’m humbled to be on the other side barely scathed.

Thank you, God.

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