Fat Tuesday

Wow! It is Fat Tuesday 2012. Last year, Fat Tuesday was on March 8th. I will never forget that date because it is the day Faith was burned.

I am the kind of person who really enjoys having "traditions" in our home. Just small things that are the same each year, something for the kids to look forward too. Last year I was reading about Mardi Gras and learned that traditionally those who practice lent eat a "rich" meal before they give up meat for lent. As I continued to read, I discovered that many have pancakes the night before Ash Wednesday. I thought this would be neat, and we should start this tradition.

We are protestant and therefore do not corporately celebrate holidays that are traditionally Catholic. However, in our home, we do try to focus on the reason we celebrate Christian holidays. Particularly Christmas and Easter. We focus on Christmas each night during the Advent season and we try to fast from something during the lent season. This is our personal way to focus on Jesus and study the events leading up to each holiday.

Little did I know that choosing to start this tradition would lead up to a terrible accident. James starts dinner most nights since he gets home before me. That evening started just like any other. James called me and at the end of the conversation asked, "What's for dinner tonight?" I asked him to stop at the store and pick up some bacon so we could have pancakes and bacon. He began cooking it and little did any of us know that our lives would greatly be affected. On Fat Tuesday last year, my daughter was severely injured in a terrible accident.

Needless to say, pancakes on Fat Tuesday did NOT become a tradition in our house. Tonight at the end of the conversation I said, "Let's have salad." That is something that requires no heat. I am so extremely grateful that Faith has healed so well and will have very minimal permanent scarring from this incident, but we are all forever changed. I still have nightmares about seeing her face while calling 911. She talks about it now. Occasionally she will say, "Momma, I just wanted to know what was in that cup I couldn't have." Most recently she told me how bad it hurt. I know she was terrified and in so much pain. It is so heart breaking.

Other than the memories that have forever changed us, Faith has a small scar on her chest. So far, the verdict is that it will not have to be restructured until she is a teenager. More recently this scar has increased in size, so we will know more when we see her plastic surgeon again. I want to thank everyone for praying for us during this time and I cannot believe it has almost been a year since that terrible night.