Late Gratitude Post

When Heidi was home for Thanksgiving, she bonded with her baby sister. And one event we will never forget.

I was upstairs getting ready for the day and Heidi was downstairs on the couch, fighting the flu, and listening for the baby in the swing. Eve started to cry, so Heidi brought her upstairs to me. I was ready to come down, but my hands were full, so she carried the baby.

I came down the stairs first, and when I reached the bottom I heard a small shriek, then I heard a bump. Heidi had slipped on the first stair and she proceeded to fall all the way down our wooden staircase. Slid down, is more accurate. She hit her head, shoulder, back and hip on every stair, not caring what happened to her, but completely concerned for her sister. I turned, horrified, unable to do anything to stop her from falling, and Brad came running up from the basement. When they hit bottom, Heidi handed me the baby, and asked repeatedly, "Is she okay? Mom, is she okay?" Eve was fine, just whimpering a bit, but we could tell that Heidi was definitely not okay. She silently went into the family room, where she laid back down on the couch, quietly crying. She let me look at her back, and I could tell that she was hurt. More scared for her sister than for herself, she had let her body bounce repeatedly, protecting that tiny body.

There are no coincidences in life. I believe that. Was it coincidental that she was holding Eve in the crook of her left arm--the arm she rarely uses to hold a baby? No. If she had been holding her in her right arm, Eve's head would have hit every single stair, and Heidi would have been unable to protect her. As it was, her left arm held Eve above the impact, cradled and safe.

Heidi was battered all week, still slightly bruised and sore. Eve--little Eve--untouched.

And we could laugh at it later, even that day--"Heidi almost killed her sister."

But I know there was so much more involved--guardian angels and a loving big sister.