For 12 years he survived.  All bones intact.

The worst he’d done was cracked his head open once or twice – not one stitch, not one drop of glue, had ever held his flesh together.

Then back in the spring he became a comedic sight.  One finger broken on his left hand, two fingers sprained on his right.  He couldn’t use either hand, doing schoolwork was a challenge.  All of that because his buddy cracked him in the hands with a golf club (on accident).  Still, that was minor.  The ‘break’ in his finger was in the growth plate.  It healed in short order.

This time he isn’t quite so fortunate – although still relatively lucky.

He went on his first serious Boy Scouts camping trip.  They hiked for several hours (his pack was 22 pounds), and then would make camp for the night.  He went with our neighbor Moe*, who is also one of the troop leaders.

That morning I had a bout of mothers’ intuition.  For some reason the thought hit me probably 10 in the morning and my brain screamed at me, “Brandon is going to get hurt today.”  I didn’t fully listen, brushed it aside and went about our business…but even Archie says I was “off” all day.  It was a ‘sweats’ day all day…I was just ‘eh’.

Then at 9:30PM Archie’s phone rang.  My heart stopped, and the second I hear Moe’s voice I was on my feet, rushing to get dressed.  I knew something had happened. I didn’t know what or how or why, or even how I’d get where they were, but I was going.

I was talked down from my insanity and eventually (two hours later) Brandon was home.  Since he was exhausted and the scouts had come “prepared” (it’s more than just a saying), he crashed and we went to the ER in the morning.  A couple hours later we were home with a new brace and sling – because for some reason ER’s no longer cast fractures (even compound ones – luckily Brandon’s was not compound).

A “buckle” fracture of the radius and ulna, a little more severe on the radius (which explains why he can more his fingers better than his thumb).  It should heal in about 6 weeks and his cast will come off in five.

But to me it’s a badge of honor for him.  He’s always been a tentative boy, careful…and not a ‘man’s man’ type of boy.  In the past year he’s started to grow and change and bit by bit he’s becoming more of a man.  Cross Country, Scouts, are both steps toward becoming a man instead of the curly-haired boy I remember so well.  This cast is a symbol of that change, of him stepping into a world of strength.  His handling of the pain has been so much more than it ever has been in the past.  He’s growing up.  Now he’s got a physical reminder of his steps away from me.