This routine of getting stitches continued almost annually until my fourth grade year, at which time I decided, that I was completely sick of getting stitches and that this annual event needed to stop. Of course, I really never planned to get stitches, but for some reason I didn’t have stitches after fourth grade. Except for one time, right after graduation when  the horse I was riding slipped on the road and fell on me, requiring stitches in my head and my left knee.

So here is a list of the places I’ve had stitches: leg (twice), toe, head, finger, then head again, and knee when the horse fell on me.

Lesson’s learned: Don’t climb on things that you are too small to jump off, don’t put your fingers anywhere near the opening of a door at any time, wear shoes outside, make sure my kids know what I went though-in hopes that they won’t have to go though it too, sit around and never do anything. (OK, I’m kidding about the last one!)

But really, I hate pain! It is part of life and I’m glad I understand pain, because it makes the time when you don’t have to have pain so much more enjoyable, and you understand when your kids or others are in pain! You can say, “I know, honey!” because you do.