After the Fall

Last night around 8:00 I was lying across the bed working on my Beth Moore Bible Study. Terry and Tim were at an Eagle Scout Preview meeting and Katie was at Starbuck's with a friend.

I happened to glance out the window at our backyard basketball court and noticed Beth shooting some buckets. I got to thinking that I have turned into a real dud of a mom. I sit in the house. I fold laundry. I put away dishes. I play Solitaire on my iPod. I rarely "play" with the kids.

So, on a whim, I ran down the hall, donned my Bass loafers (I think this might have been my mistake, but they were close to the back door), ran out to the basketball court as Beth looked on in astonishment, grabbed a basketball, and proceeded to attempt a layup.

Unfortunately, something went dreadfully wrong. As I approached the basketball court...first I need to interject a word of explanation. Our "Basketball Court" is a large, maybe 15 by 15 foot slab of concrete placed crookedly in our backyard by the former owner sometime in the '60's I'm guessing.

Anywho, as I approached the basketball court (aka concrete slab) I managed to make one pitiful dribble before disaster struck. Perhaps I twisted my foot, perhaps there was something sticky on my shoe that threw me, perhaps my foot caught briefly on the edge of the concrete, but whatever it was, I suddenly found myself going down.

Now, this wasn't just a normal fall. This was one of those falls where you for a brief moment think that perhaps you can make a save. You know, if you just throw your weight a little bit one direction then another, perhaps it will be just a wobble instead of a fall.

Running through my brain, of course, was the thought that this court was made of concrete and wrists and heads don't do so well when they come in contact with concrete. Especially older wrists and heads. So, it was, I'm falling, no I'm not, I'm falling, no I'm not, and finally I'm falling. It took the entire width of the court for me to complete my fall.

I landed on my right wrist, right elbow, and right thigh. I couldn't get up for a minute or two because I was laughing hysterically.

Meanwhile, Beth watched the spectacle. Mom runs out. Mom picks up basketball. Mom falls. Beth brought me ice and a little Neosporin for the scrape.

Today I was thinking of other impressive falls.

There was Terry at the Dugan Christmas running with the in demand Starbuck's cup and saucer at the White Elephant exchange and encountering something slippery on the tile floor, but all the while keeping the cup and saucer intact. Now that was a great fall and a nice save on the cup and saucer.

Then there was Mindy on our stairs at one family gathering. She made it all the way down to the landing holding a glass of ice water. She went down, but the water stayed up. Good job, Min.

Now those were graceful falls. The one last night...not so much.

But, I am grateful that God spared me and I don't have a second titanium plate this evening, but rather have an amusing tale to tell.