Road Rash

Lucas was practicing on his big boy bike yesterday, a two wheeler with training wheels that our neighbor, Blake, gave him. He was doing great and looked like such a big kid riding it. Before I helped him climb on, I told him that we really need to get him a helmet. Of course, those were famous last words.

I suggested that he turn around in our neighbors driveway to head home. He did so, but went over the curb, lost his balance and flew from the bike, hitting his head and face on the street. I watched it happen from a few feet away. I heard the sickening thump of my child's skull connecting with the road. He started screaming and I ran to him and scooped him up in my arms. I was too scared to look at his face, for fear that he had knocked out a tooth or scraped up his handsome cheeks. I just held my screaming son to me and walked home, leaving the bike in a heap behind.

Emily was across the street in our driveway when it happened and walked into the street to help her brother. "Lukie, Lukie" she called walking across the street with her arms out. I hustled over to her to get her to safety.

I took Lucas home and realized that he was screaming now for his bike and his shoe that he apparently lost when he fell. I set him down to retrieve his things and was so relieved to see that some splotchy road rash was the only injury that he suffered. His mouth and teeth were intact and there was no blood on his face. Praise God!

And today one of the first things that we did was to buy him that darn helmet that I have been putting off.