Entry on LA Book Fair half done. Can't finish tonight. Too tired. Am toasted. Instead I leave you with this:
Yesterday in the car on the way home. Damian said, "Mommy," in this worried little voice. I looked in back. His fingers were covered with blood. My heart froze. Then he pointed to his nose. Blood coming from nostril. Ah. My heart resumed a normal rhythm.
He sounded a little panicky. I reassured him, handed him a tissue and told him to apply pressure to his nose for a few minutes, that this would help the bleeding stop.
About two minutes later, he asked for the fifth time when the bleeding was going to stop.
"Soon, I think."
"Will I still be alive?"
The mind of a nearly-six-year-old. Blood is pouring out of me. I must be dying.
I reassured him that he still had plenty of blood and this was absolutely not going to kill or even weaken him.
He then posited that the blood coming out would make more blood (to replace itself, I guess) and that's why he'd be okay. Interesting theory.
But as soon as I told him the nosebleed was in fact not fatal, he turned from anxious to calm. A fascinating glimpse inside his mind.
Posted by Tamar at April 24, 2004 10:20 PM