Shake it off!

Yesterday was a lot of fun. We had almost the entire family at our house for Easter dinner. After dinner we headed to my uncle's for dessert since it was his birthday. At my uncle's my bother and I started talking about our childhood as brother and sister. We had my cousin, his friend, and my sister-in-law in hysterics. When we were little my dad constantly told us to "shake it off" when we were hurt. It didn't really matter if were gushing blood or had stones embedded into our skin, we had to 'shake it off''. This could be why we are both very tough when it comes to pain and injury. Maybe this is something that our grandfather had said to him as a child? We are not sure where he got it from. Maybe it was dad's way of not having to deal with us crying since he was ALWAYS so busy. Maybe he knew that it would toughen us up. All I know is that shaking it off did not stop the bleeding. LOL!

One story that came up that always makes me laugh is the time that I came up with this wonderful idea to walk my 3 wheel.....Big Wheel up my parents hill in the back of their house. You must keep in mind that my father was watching me and didn't stop me. Maybe he was trying to teach me a lesson in cause and affect? My parents stone driveway was around the back of their house which means that this was what I was going to end up in once I was at the bottom of this hill. Did I mention that I never had any fear as a child? I get on my Big Wheel and down I go. My feet were in the air since the petals were spinning uncontrollably fast. I get to the bottom very quickly and my front wheel just stops as the entire bike flips upside down and throws me off. Not only am I face first in the stones but I had them embedded in my hands and my knees. Both my knees and hands were bleeding. There's my dad trying not to laugh, telling me to shake it off. I can barely walk, shaking from the pain of these sharp stones stuck in my skin. Of course I was taken in the house for the clean up and peroxide treatment. Shaking it off obviously didn't work...LOL!

I find out years later that not even five minutes after my Big Wheel incident, my brother tries the same thing! Maybe he thought he would have a different outcome? Was he trying to prove that he was better than me? Last night he said that he did it because it looked like fun. Maybe he didn't see how it affected me. I do not remember if he had gotten as hurt as me but I do know that he too was told to 'shake it off'. Many times that phrase was used. You can only imagine the scars my brother and I have from our fearless attitude. Most scars included injuries from our childhood vehicles such as our bikes, go-carts, motorcycles, etc. I remember creating a figure 8 in my parents front yard which took years for the grass to grow back in. Those were the good old days.

I do admit telling my kids to 'shake it off' once in a while. However, their injuries are not severe. Now Makenna will shake her leg in the air even if it is her arm that she hurt...LOL! Makenna is definitely tougher than her brother.

I am very thankful for those crazy moments of stupidity as a child. Mostly I am thankful that it creates bonding moments for my brother and I and makes everyone laugh. Funny that we can look back at those moments which then were seemingly awful and laugh at them now. Everyone should be able to 'shake it off' and go about their day. Maybe this way, life would not be so stressful for people. Maybe that is really what my dad was trying to teach us afterall. Too bad we didn't know about the word Goosfraba back then.

What I am thankful for today:

my Big Wheel as a child

my dad telling us to 'shake it off'

moments reminiscing with my brother

laughter

family

children

siblings

goosfraba

being silly

therapy......this will make my brother laugh...LOL!