I was putting laundry in the washer today when I heard a shriek from the living room. I ran up the stairs to see what was going on only to find Elijah crying on the floor holding his back. He sputtered accusingly between sobs that Micah had pushed him off the back of the couch (he was laying across the top of the back like a cat). Apparently he doesn't have cat-like reflexes though because he landed on a toy firetruck. He is fine, just a nasty bruise on his hip. I had been telling him that I was proud of him for not trying to hit Micah back or even being angry at Micah. After I'd held him for a minute, he said, "Mommy, you didn't see it happen."
I confessed that no I'd been downstairs.
He said, "Mommy, you didn't run fast enough."
My mind raced. He's begun to realize that I won't be able to protect him from every possible hurt in life. There are just some times when Mommy won't be there to prevent pain. I wonder if this will make him more cautious, and I wonder what would happen if I were always there to catch him before he fell. Next time he'll weigh the options- lay on the back of the couch and possibly fall off? or stay seated safely on the cushion? Whichever he chooses, at least he now knows the consequences of each.
It also made me wonder if I ever accuse God of not running fast enough. Although, I doubt God does much laundry.
