Dem Bones

I'm looking at the film from Matthew's X-rays. There are four images on the sheet: Matthew's hand and forearm from various angles. The bones look attenuated yet tiny in these pictures, like the fragile bones of a bird. How strange to see this usually hidden part of the body! It's easy to forget that inside each of us is a skeleton, topped with the grinning, hollow-eyed skull of Halloween fantasy. Yes, it's easy to forget about those old bones...until one of them breaks.

The cast on Matthew's arm has relieved the pain of his broken wrist and given him an unwarranted sense of confidence. Countless times today I've had to warn him to Slow down! Be careful! Don't bang your arm!

"Matthew, are you trying to break your wrist again?" I sighed in exasperation as he went careening around the corner and crashed into oven.

I'm starting to sound like my mother-in-law. Yikes.

I don't want to quash his high spirits and natural exuberance; on the other hand (so to speak), I don't want him to injure his arm again before it has had a chance to heal.

Last week I asked Tab to take some pictures of Daniel. "His school is probably going to need a photo of him for the end-of-year program book. Remember last year: they didn't give us much warning."

Tab agreed to do it. Over the weekend I reminded him again, but he never got around to it. Then Matthew had his accident and I forgot about the picture until I picked up Daniel at school today and found a note in his box asking for a wallet-sized picture by this Friday. So after dinner today, I asked Tab once again to take Daniel's picture.

"There's not much light out there," he said.

"So do it inside."

"It won't look as good."

"Well, we don't have a lot of time, do we?"

I forbore to remind him that he could have--should have--taken the picture days ago.

Bear in mind, Tab is a professional photographer. It's like that old saw about the shoemaker's children going barefoot.

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