Scuffles and Scars

1978-01-18-Wednesday: Picnic in mts across the valley. Karen cut her chin 1 in gash in scuffle over skate board at Lillegard’s (emphasis mine). Off on a picnic about ten AM with sandwiches, cookies & lemonade. All but Boo – he had to go to math class. Explored hills that we see from balcony of the house and down into valley on other side. Lots of people living over there – poor areas, poor roads off the main highway. Two elegant looking eating houses near the top. Things are greener over there from clouds hovering over mts much of the time. Back home. Karen cut her chin a gash about an inch & 1/8 deep (emphasis mine). Lights were out this morning and again this eve.

This excerpt is from my Grandma Olivia’s travel journal, kept while visiting us throughout the years. Grandma Olivia is my mom’s mom and in this excerpt, she’s writing about a visit to San Jose, Costa Rica. The view she mentions is probably the one in the featured image on this post. And yup, poor little adorable Karen got pushed off a skateboard by her mean big sister. I cut my chin and I have the scar to this day.

I remember sitting on the end of the skateboard, my sister really wanting me to get off, and then my sister making me get off, as sisters do. Then I remember the blood gushing out of my chin, my brother carrying me to my mom and Grandma, the butterfly bandaid they put on my chin to stop the blood and help the cut heal. From time to time I enjoy bringing this story up, just to get a little sympathy from my family. Being the youngest of 6 and all, I have to work my angles. Wink wink.

I’ve had this post sitting in my Drafts for months and it’s appropriate to post today on the day we celebrate Mothers in the US, as it’s a story of two moms, working together to fix up a wound and some tears. My Grandma saw fit to mention my injury twice in her notes so it was clearly a significant event for her. I am sure it wasn’t as horrifying as I remember it, but after all these years what I remember most is sitting on a high table, having my mom and her mom fuss over me, console me, love me, and fix me up right as rain.

Happy Mother’s Day!