Scabs, scars and bruises

Two weeks ago our Lunch 'n Learn session featured basic CPR and first aid. Last Tuesday I needed to put some of that learning into action. Just as a friend was turning the corner to drop me back at the office after a catch-up breakfast, we saw a woman fall onto the street. As soon as the car was in park we both jumped out to run to her aid as did other good samaritans who were walking by.

Thanks to the recent class I knew to: assess the situation to determine if it was safe to leave her where she fell (it was), see if she was conscious (she sat up, blood streaming down her face), tell someone to call 911 (my friend did), and go for an emergency kit (my role). By the time I returned with the red and white box holding needed plastic gloves and other supplies, we heard a siren in the distance. Besides a broken nose, a gash on her forehead and contusions, it seemed she was okay but we were glad when the paramedics arrived. She'll have some bruises and maybe end up with a scar both inside and out.

It got me thinking about the summer I was seven. There seems to be a childhood year when either scabby elbows or knees are ever present. For me it was knees, with the biggest contributor being falls from my hand-me-down red bike. I remember sitting on the third step of the wooden stairs that led up to my bedroom and picking at a delightfully thick scab. It was just at that point where the edges were starting to separate from the skin. That's an intriguing stage to a child because the hurt is gone and the healing is progressing. 

At that age we are still learning about our bodies and need our parents to tell us to leave the scab alone, advice we will probably ignore. We watch with fascination as bruises change colors as they heal. We're also learning that true healing often requires more pain, a lot of patience and some action.

Some hurts need iodine, not just mercurochrome, or work with a therapist, not just talking with friends. All hurts need time, time for the natural processes to occur. That can include using our thought processes to understand the corresponding emotional layers. Finally, hurts require action, which can mean non-action, like not picking up a hot pan without a potholder, or the positive step of getting back on the bike.

Like most of us, my scars from childhood include a few chicken pox marks. I also know where there were stitches in my hand from a fall on the running track. It's the emotional scars that have taken more than a few days or weeks of bandaids and itching. Some are scabbed over, not gone, but the scab is doing its job. Others I know that if I pick at the scab, the pain will ooze out again. Perhaps it's time to do that. Finally, there are those where I know that I really should pick at the scab. It's at the point where the healing is finished underneath and the new skin will be healthy. I think I'll start with those. What about you?

Marilyn