Tuesday 8 July 2008

worrying about children

The end of the book I have just finished "Bringing it all back home" by Ian Clayton takes an unexpected turn. The book as a whole is a celebration of music told in a succession of anecdotes about singers and songs. The last chapter however deals with the unexpected death of his daughter, Billie in a canoeing accident. This chapter is very moving and reflects the anguish of a father grieving for a child.

Although not on the same level I felt some of that anguish last night as my youngest E had to go to Casualty, suffering from concussion. It is a long and boring story as to how it happened but suffice it to say she fell off a chair and banged her head on our ceramic tiled floor. After E vomited twice my wife rushed her off to the Hospital. I am usually in bed by 10 as I get up for work at 4:45 everyday. I stayed up watching crap TV until 1:30 a.m. until I heard word of what was happening. I was woken again at 3:45 when they returned. Even now I feel guilty being here at work typing this, not knowing how she is feeling.

2 comments:

ib said...

Hey Peewit, I'm sorry to read about E's concussion. I'm sure she'll be okay.

My son has been rushed into the hospital's A&E on two occasions now ; both incidents happened while he was at school, and the first involved a suspected concussion and we had to wait for confirmation that he was alright before I could rush him from there to the Dental Hospital to get trauma treatment.

It's only natural to feel pangs of guilt in not being there, but your wife is on the case...

adam said...

I hope all's well. Just to join the 'all anxious parents together' crew I have to do the rush to hospital once or twice a year - kids with medical conditions, eh? -and it never gets 'normal'. And quite right too.
Thank you for your comment at my new place :)
x