Earned

I have to say, Thanksgiving this year was a big improvement over last year, if only because we didn't spend any of our day at the emergency room. It's been a whole year since Gavin earned his scar.

I say earned because when we're lucky scars come with lessons learned. Gavin will never forget how he earned his scar. I'm not sure he's attempted to climb a tree since that day... but the lesson he learned was to never climb a tree; rather he learned to be aware of his surroundings.

Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's his age, but Gavin seems to be a bit more careful about things. Don't get me wrong, he's still an impulsive child, I'm sure he will always lean that way... he's still rough and tumble and manages to pepper himself with bumps and bruises every day from his extreme boyishness... but he also seem more contemplative about some things. He may even worry a bit... that is something that we talk about, something that will take age and experience to help calm.

For the kid who seldom got worked up about anything, his new found concern about some situations is new. We talk about worry and what it means and how it differs from awareness and concern. I want that to be a lesson learned young.

Hopefully, in the process, I'll be able to take some of my own advise. You see, that scar that Gavin earned is part of me too. Every time I see it, I am reminded of my own lesson. How quickly things can change, how that scar on his temple is a physical representation of luck and resilience and a measure of what is really and truly important in life.