Damnable Church Pews

Add them to the litany of reasons I don't go to church (never mind my stance on organized religion): a pew almost took out my daughter tonight.

We're out of town on a family matter - the wedding of one of my cousins - and Paige is going to be the flower girl.  It's cute.  She's got herself a really fancy white dress and great silver strappy shoes.  She went with Mommy the other day to the spa and got herself a manicure/pedicure (she came home with pink nails covered in white polka-dots), and she's got a really cool new headband with blue and white flowers on it to wear in her hair.  She's even been "practicing" at home with some of Mommy's silk flower petals.  She's excited and so by extension, Mommy and I are too.

My family (my Mom's side) is huge, sprawling really.  I'm the oldest of 19 cousins and every summer growing up the family would descend on my family's place (a string of 3 houses occupied by my folks, one of my aunt/uncle set and my Mom's parents).  At times there would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 people all milling about, looking for fun.  Not to sound too West Virginian, but many of my cousins are like pseudo-siblings to me.  Tomorrow's bride, Katie, is perhaps second only to one other (Jenny...) who I'd consider a fraction shy of my actual sister.

There is symmetry here too.  Being the oldest of the 19, I was around, and can remember, when three of my aunts were married.  In fact, I was the ring-bearer in Katie's Mom's wedding when I was about Paige's age.  Story goes that I walked about halfway down the aisle and then ran for it in my little brown tuxedo.  The only thing I really remember from that day was getting to ride in antique cars to the reception hall...cool.  Anyway, on my Mom's side of the family, I'm the only cousin with kids of my own (so far...) and Katie thought it would be neat to have Paige in her wedding.  Certainly for the cute factor, but also as an homage to her Mom and Dad's wedding.  Symmetry.

Well, this afternoon (after a full day of driving - we're in NY now) was the rehearsal.  We got to the tiny church on time and got to know the names of those we didn't recognize.  Paige was playing around with another of my cousins, Trish (also in the wedding...I told you we're like a pack of 19 siblings...well, 18 siblings, but that's a sad story for another day) having a good time.  She was being a really good kid, just having fun but really staying under control.

BAM!

I saw it out of the corner of my eye.  She was running up the left side of the church looking over her shoulder for Trish and as she turned to face front her face met the upright section of a solid oak pew.  I was out of my seat and FLYING before she even hit the ground.  I've heard this sickening thud before.  Just before I defended my thesis, her forehead met the reinforced corner of a wall and, well, the wall won.  11 stitches and permanent scar right in the middle of her beautiful face.

I prepared for the worst.  She was screaming.  I scooped her up and ran outside with her to have a look.  I sat her on the steps of the church and pulled her away from my shoulder.  RED.  On her chest.  Oh crap, here we go again.  Oh, phew, it's a big fat sticker she'd swiped from a choir book.  Ok, no blood apparent.

Still screaming.  Can't see a cut or a bruise.  She's holding her mouth.  Oh Christ, she's broken teeth - right?  Paigey, let me see.  Nothing.  Every tooth accounted for, and intact at that.  I check to see if they are loose.  They're really not, though this procedure is deceiving because her whole head moves when I check.  She seems fine, physically.  She's scared and in shock, but otherwise seems to be OK.

We'll check her out again in the morning, but she ate a big fat slice of pizza for dinner (ohhhh, gooooood NY pizza) and played her rear-end off until 9PM....2 hours past her bedtime.  I think she's fine.

There is something about your child being in trouble that causes a unique physiologic change.  I was sitting in the church, talking to my grandmother (81+ and still grinding it out baby!) and a few others, then, after registering Paige's distress, I sprang.  I'm not joking, I had tunnel vision.  I don't know if I knocked people over.  My wife said I was running over the pews...not through them, but OVER them.  Thinking two things: I have to get to my daughter first, it HAS to be me that gets her and helps - and - I need her to be OK because if she isn't then I'm not and I have to keep it together.

Kids are stress.  Almost all of the time.  But, Daddy reacts well to stress, and will ALWAYS get there first...