I worked from home today; therefore, I picked up Xuân and Vương from school to go to the skatepark. Đạo tagged along as well. We skated for about 15 minutes before Vương slipped, fell, and busted his chin on the concrete inside the bowl at Wakefield. I took him to the ER to get stitched up.
Xuân busted his chin twice before. The second time was also at the skatepark and I took him to the same ER. Xuân gained back his confidence and went back to the skatepark a couple of days later. He had not thought much about it. He continued to soar.
I am not sure if Vương will do the same or he would just quit after this incident. I won’t hold it against him. Accidents happen, especially at the skatepark. I had my share of accidents. I twisted my knee one time and hit my head on the ground another. Even though I had my helmet on, I blacked out for a few seconds.
Vương’s accident gave me a pause. The skatepark could be a dangerous place even just a minor mistake. Then again if I wanted to prevent accidents, I would never skate, ski, or snowboard. Life is short and a bit of risk is good.
I talked to my kids’ piano teacher about skiing. He would love to give it a try, but he was afraid of breaking his hands, which are his livelihood. A nail technician told me the same concern. If she were to break her hands, she wouldn’t be able to do her work. It could be true for me as well. I wouldn’t be able to design if my hands weren’t working. Fortunately, I didn’t think about it that way when I picked up any of these sports. I am glad that I didn’t factor accidents into the sports. For me, the reward outweighs the risk.
Getting stitched up sucks, but I hope Vương won’t give up. Life will be full of challenges and he will have to weather through them. This was one of the challenges he faced. Stay strong, my son.