I am not sure if it is because I am a doctor or because of watching her favorite show, Doc McStuffins, but suddenly all Senia Mae wants to talk about are people who need go in for a check up due to serious injuries. What makes it more humorous is that we don't really discuss going to the doctor or the need to see a physician, but suddenly it has become her obsession. At the dinner table today she repeatedly asked Kim to tell her about a time that she got stitches after cutting her hand on a broken door panel. You could watch the amazement in Senia Mae's eyes the third time she heard Mommy Kim tell the story of flying down the hill on the bike that was so big her feet didn't even touch the ground. Her blinkless stare gazed at Kim in awe, mesmerized by the thought, her mouth dropped open as if it was the most remarkable story she had ever heard.

She then wanted to hear one of my childhood injury stories. My injuries, of course, were not as serious as Kim's so to add some zest to the punchline I emphasized the heroes that saved the day, rescuing the damsel in distress (me). I looked into her eyes as I told of myself running down the grassy hill to be with Gram, because I always wanted to be where she was. She was at the bottom of the hill pulling weeds and I ran as fast as I could through the high grass stepping on a rusted out pipe that was hidden in the thatches. Gram came to my rescue as I lay bleeding and crying in the grass, sweeping me up in her arms and delivering me to the safety of the kitchen, where she soaked my foot in warm soap and water, then dressed it with what she considered the cure all, Campho-Phenique. I was bandaged up with some gauze and an ace wrap, limping around for the next whole week.

Mae Mae could not believe that there was a hidden pipe waiting to be stepped on by bare feet running through the grass! What a catastrophe...and it happened to her Mommy! Watching her intrigue and fascination was quite amusing. I had to subdue several fits of laughter as she asked again about the cut on my foot that was a complete circle. She looked at her own hand and drew an imaginary circle with her finger, lost in deep thought.

A few moments later she spouted off that one time she had a bruise on her hand and it needed five stitches...one, two, three, four, five...right here in a circle (she traced the circle on her hand). And Grammy came over...I had one dirty toe and one clean toe...she washed my toes in warm soap and water and they got better! She looked up in delight, turning the palms of her hands to the sky as she grinned, completely satisfied with herself. Even though the story was obviously a fabrication of our stories, her rendition was absolutely adorable and heartwarming. All she wanted was to be part of our storytelling, to be included in the conversation. Suddenly I was glad we took the time to sit at the dinner table, turning off the t.v so we can actually have conversations because this is the stuff you want to remember.