Hurting

On Sunday No 3 son was attacked by a pair of pit bulls ... The owner heard the kids screaming and came out, he ran up to our house with him. We are too far out for timely ambulance service so Mr Tex was the ambulance driver, I was the holder...it was an indescribably horrific experience, he was a mess.
Today, Tuesday he has had his second surgery. He is not 'fixed' but he is comfortable-ish, watching TV and chatting to me for the first time since Sunday. He has a long road ahead but he is alive with all his parts still attached.

On Sunday afternoon the surgical waiting room was filled with people who had been called by other people, who had all driven over to the hospital to wait to see him...so many good people. Our hospital room is full of balloons and bears and toys and people come by all day to check on him. There are people all over the world praying for my little man...it is truly amazing.

Somebody mentioned to me that I must be angry with the owner but, she assured me, "you will feel better later"....it seemed an odd suggestion to me though, of all the things I have felt over the last few days, anger just isn't one of them. The owner of the dogs did not know they were out and they don't usually get out as far as I know. It was one of those random horrible things that just happen sometimes. There are so many decisions leading up to each moment that would have changed all our circumstances - what if we had done this thing or that, or that thing before this. If timing had been different who knows.... And so I was thinking about this today, and I realized something that maybe this advice giver hadn't, and it struck me deeply. That man, the dogs owner, saved my son's life. If he hadn't been home, or hadn't come outside quickly enough, we wouldn't be sitting here playing Angry Bird UNO....I have been told that he is distressed beyond words, I can't imagine how he feels, but I wonder if he has allowed himself that thought. When I see him I want it to be the first thing I say.