A Surreal Sunday

My husband got a concussion on Sunday.

He went out to enjoy a few minutes of scootering with our young son before dinner, and the next thing I know, my daughter comes running in, saying, "Mom, come quick! Dad needs you!" I hurry out to meet my husband, hobbling towards the house with his arm around my oldest daughter. Blood was on his chin, neck, and arm. His face was pale and grimaced with pain.

I sat him in a chair and examined his cuts and abrasions. The one on his chin definitely needed stitches, so I starting making preparations for a trip to the emergency room. While calling grandparents and giving instructions to get dinner on the table, I noticed that my husband, though he seemed lucid, was repeating himself. He asked again and again, "What happened? Did I hit something?" No matter how many times I explained to him what had occurred, he asked me the question again within half a minute.

It was scary. If you've never experienced a concussion before, believe me, it was scary. He looked fine (enough) on the outside, but his brain had suffered injury.

All on the way to the hospital, my husband could not remember what happened. He could not remember what he did that morning, or the night before. He could not remember that I was pregnant with our eighth child. But at the hospital, we received the best possible news. I thank God that the doctor did not find any internal bleeding or broken bones. Besides the concussion, there was no other major damage done. My husband suffers from short-term memory loss, but that should go away with time. It has been a "surreal" experience, in his words. He now has greater sympathy for the elderly and those who suffer from Alzheimer's, dementia, or other brain damage.

And I, well, I'm exhausted. I won't write much more than to say this:

Our bodies are wonderfully made, fragile and strong at the same time. That my husband could take a fall like that and not be dead is amazing. That his body is healing itself is astounding. But that it took only a fall from a foot-powered scooter and a landing on a paved road to hurt his head, that makes me humble. There is nothing that we can take for granted. Life and health are gifts from God. Every day and every moment are gifts from God. One minute, I'm cooking dinner and listening to my children play outside with their dad, and the next… I was glad when I cleaned my husband's blood-stained clothes only because I knew that he would still be there to wear them.

Love each other selflessly. Forgive much, as your Father in heaven has forgiven you much. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15b)