the day i thought natalie brown died

Case 1.  There I was, happily playing in my yellow-walled bedroom on 3361 Millcreek Rd. when my best friend Jason came to our door.  It wasn’t uncommon, we played together everyday.  My mom told me his sister Natalie had been hit by a car while riding her bike, so Jason was going to play at our house for a while.  No big.  After he’d been there a time, I asked him “How do you feel about being the oldest now?”  “What?” he asked, “What are you talking about?”  “Your sister… she got hit by a car… so… you’re the oldest now!  How do you feel?”  How ignorant.  

            

 Case 2.  Katie Jane and I were playing gymnastics on a swing set.  I think this day we were preparing for the Olympics when Katie jumped off the swing and broke her arm.  Moments later when Katie’s brother came by and told us he was going to take her to the hospital, I cried like a baby.  “I didn’t even get to say goodbye!" How ignorant. 

             

But Katie and Natalie lived to tell their tales.  And a very confused 7-year-old Sara quickly learned that not only does breaking a bone and going to the hospital not kill you, but actually helps to make everything ok.  

For the record, I'm still terrified of hospitals.  Ask Amy Tingey.