Derek's Broken Arm 2014

It was bound to happen. He is such a busy little guy and so prone to doing dangerous things. The way it happened was a bit frustrating. The school nurse has always been a bit too dramatic for my taste but this day takes the cake. I subbed a yoga class at the gym just up the road from my house. When I teach I don't bring my phone in with me at all. It was on silent as I left and went home to shower. So I missed the phone call from the nurse. When I got home there was a police officer at my door. She told me there was an emergency at the school with my son Derek and I needed to get there right away. My heart sank and I started to panic I was begging her to tell me what was wrong but she said she didn't know. Then her partner was talking to her (on her walkie) and she said "you have to get there now they are taking him away in the ambulance". She got in her car and escorted me to the school. I thought the worst had happened. Why else wouldn't they tell me what it was? As we drive up I see a fire truck with its lights a blaze, two police cars, and an ambulance. I thought I was going to throw up. Then they let me in the ambulance and it was just a broken arm. I could have karate chopped some one in the throat. But I just hugged him and tried to calm down. They said the break was limiting blood to his fingers and he could lose his hand if he didn't get to a hospital soon. I drove to the medical center and Andrew met me there. Those people were much much more helpful. Yada yada yada I could go into every detail about the event but it doesn't matter. What has really left me awestruck is how incredibly positive and calm Derek was the whole entire time. He has always been a very very happy child. If you ask him how he is doing the answer is always "GREAT" and I mean always! Its hard parenting a difficult child but its even harder parenting a super easy happy child when you know you don't deserve him. He amazes me! Not one negative word. Not one complaint. No tears. No screaming. Just a big smile. He didn't even hesitate to consider his limitation once we got home. He just ran around like normal. When the kids were hot and wanted to go swimming I put a water proof sleeve over his arm and he ran around without a care. The other day I told the kids to do their chores. They have a list in the office of what to do each day. I wasn't paying attention busy with laundry but he gathered the kitchen trash bag with one hand and took it outside. It had been about 20 min and I noticed he wasn't back so I went outside to check on him. As I turned the corner to the side of the house I saw him trying to throw this heavy trash bag with one arm up into the big city trash can that is 2ft taller than him. Every time the bag would fall back down and he would try again. Once I picked up the bag and realized how heavy it was and how long he had been out there trying to finish his chore with one hand I started to cry. He really is the sweetest little boy! It breaks my heart that he was sent to me. And that the world will be so hard on him. But it made me think about how I need to be more like him. When he makes a mistake he comes and tells me right away and instead of being upset about the mess that was made his honesty calms me down and helps me be more patient as I clean it up. And when I am grumpy he comes up and hugs me and tells me how much he loves me and it instantly difuses my anger. Instantly. I think humans naturally react to negativity with negativity but he doesn't. And I need to be more like that. He is such a blessing. I really don't deserve him!