So Thankful

I've gotten some interesting emails from Abby's teachers over the years. They've covered everything from her daily behavior (both good and bad), to what she wore to school that day. Today though, I got one that I hope never to see again.

I was popping down to the office for some quick copies when I decided to check my email. I pulled out my phone and immediately saw a message from Abby's teacher. I did a quick skimming, but when I saw the words, "apple", "choking", and "Heimlich" I actually came to a stand-still in the middle of the hallway. My stomach sank as I read about how Abby had been eating her snack, when she's started to choke. One of her teachers had seen her struggling and rushed over to give her the Heimlich maneuver.  It hadn't worked and so her other teacher stepped in and was able to dislodge the apple that had gotten stuck. I can only imagine how frightening that must have been for them all.

Abby's teacher assured me that she was okay, and that when it was over she'd told them that she was "all better", but Abby's teacher knows us well and told me to call if I wanted to during her break. Luckily, her break was while I was reading the mail, so I made a quick call. She filled me in on what had happened and how God was looking out for Abby, since the teacher who came to her aid first was supposed to be on her break, but she'd forgotten to go. She assured me that Abby was just fine and that if she noticed anything she would let me know.

My first instinct was to rush out and go get her. Even though I knew she was fine, I wanted to hug her and look her over for myself. I'd let Jason know what had happened and he had the same reaction. We were both ready to run to her - for our own peace of mind. I took some deep breaths and began to think with my head (and not with my Mother's heart). She would be fine, but I let her teacher know that I would pick her up after school, I wanted to see her as soon as I could.

I got to school and was able to talk to (and thank) one of her teachers. Abby was perfectly fine, and happy to see me. What a wonderful sight that was when she saw me waiting by the office and she ran down the hallway with her arms flung wide. I held her tight, assuring myself that she really was just fine. I asked her about her day, wondering if she would mention it, and she told me it was a great day. When I finally got around to asking her about the apple all she said was, "Not now, Mom" - a sure sign that she did not want to talk about it.

Tonight I will add a few more "thank you's" to my nightly list, for I'm feeling especially grateful for so many things.

We stopped off to pick up some soup for dinner.
Abby did a great job of "listening" and "helping",
but I caught her here looking as if she was
contemplating an escape.

We were both laughing at this point - hence the blurry picture.