The First Skinned Chin

September 28, 2006 by Susan

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Julia and Jackson were squealing with delight as they chased each other down the sunny beach path. We’d had a perfect day at the beach.

(Our fall weather has been incredible the past week with blue skies and toasty warm sunshine. Jackson announced today that it would be a great day to go to the beach. So I, Susan — Julia’s Mommy and Jackson’s Auntie, took Julia and Jackson after school and Janice stayed home to work. She missed out on the whole afternoon which is also why we don’t have any beach photos.)

We had just finished our Fish ‘n’ Chips and ice cream and were about to head home. But Julia had it in her mind to play a good game of chase first. They both played so hard, darting up and down the path that Jackson had to admit that he thought he had better stop running because his stomach was feeling sick.

But with the words still tumbling out of his mouth, Julia’s tiny toddler feet got tangled and she went splat on the cement. She howled with fear and pain and Jackson started screaming too.

“Is she bleeding?” Jackson cried, “Oh no… She’s going to Die!”

With some difficulty, I worked to calm them both down. Once Jackson was convinced that Julia’s life was not in danger he took over the situation. “We need to get her back to the car and clean her up,” he directed.

Back at the car, Julia calmed down after a soothing nurse and we headed home.

On the way home, Jackson very seriously asked me, “Auntie, do you know that I’m a doctor?”

“No, Jackson, I didn’t know that.”

“Yes, I am. I’m a doctor at my house. If my daddy gets hurt, I send him to bed. If my mommy gets hurt, I send her to bed. And if I am hurt, I go straight to bed. So, I can look after Julia.”

We arrived back at Janice’s house and Jackson ran for his doctor’s kit.

“First we need to wash out her cut and get a band aid,” he ordered, “Mommy you can be the nurse. I am the doctor.” Janice was now armed with her camera, but quickly obeyed her orders and began to assist.

“First we need to strap her down, so that she doesn’t move. I’ll go get the duct tape.”

“No, Jackson! We don’t need any duct tape. Auntie will hold her,” Janice and I both shouted as Jackson ran to the closet.

Slightly disappointed that he didn’t get to restrain his patient, Jackson proceeded to examine her. Julia was stunned into silence and calmly observed the whole operation. (That is par for the course with Julia and Jackson. She spends most of her life just watching him, quietly taking in the madness.)

Janice and I both had concerns about the actual cleaning of the cut, but we quietly bit our tongues and watched to see what would happen, me with my arms out ready to rescue and Janice ready behind her lens. But Jackson cleaned out her cut with an astonishing gentleness and Julia calmly looked up at him, letting him examine and wash out her wound.

When the cut was clean and we headed inside to get ready for bed, Jackson shook his head and sighed,
“That was a bad fall she had today.”

Please Pray for Emma Grace

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About Susan

Susan Carraretto and her identical twin, Janice Croze, created 5 Minutes for Mom in 2006. Susan loves all social media, but her top addiction these days is Pinterest.