Last week my baby girl broke her arm on her birthday. We learned second hand from a 5 year-old what had happened. Apparently, there was some confusion about who turn it was to go down the slide 🙂 After some standard Google research I learned that what happened is pretty much the most common break a child could have. OrthoInfo noted that it happens most often “when children lose their grip on the monkey bars or other equipment.” I guess a slide falls under the “other equipment” category.
This all made for a very bittersweet birthday for my little baby girl. It was so sad to see my little baby go through such an ordeal on her birthday. Yet, one of the sweetest moments for me as a father was feeling her squeeze my hand or nuzzle deeper into me anytime that she felt scared. The most satisfying thing of being a parent is knowing that I mean so much to her. It felt like she could do anything as long as I was holding her and keeping her safe.
Yesterday we went to the doctor’s office to get her arm reexamined and determine the next steps. We were relieved to learn no surgery would be required and she would only need a cast for two weeks. Baby girl was excited to learn that she could pick the color of her cast, and proudly exclaimed that she would be getting a pink cast to everyone she saw.
I have always wanted to do everything I could to avoid one of my children breaking a bone. Yes, generally I am a “helicopter” parent. Yet, I am so proud of how baby girl has handled this situation. I have yet to see her frustrated that she has more difficulty doing something. She plays just as hard as ever, still trying to jump off everything she can. She smiles, sings and laughs as if her little arm was never broken.
Often we wish that we, or others we love, don’t have to go through trials or hardships. But, these trials are what make us who/what we are. I know baby girl is still so young. Yet, I have been given a glimpse into who she will grow into. I could not be more proud, and I would never trade that for anything.
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