Can I kiss your boo-boo please?

I had my very first "wait until you're a mom" moment this weekend. Princess, who's a little dainty at times, but rough and tough at other times fell at school on Friday. Unlike all her other falls, this time she got a big nasty open scar just below her elbow.

Of course, no one says anything to me when I got home, but as she's playing I notice this really dark spot on her arm. I was thinking it was paint or something so I call her and ask her about the mark and then she shows me - my heart sank, my eyes welled up and I got this really empty sinking feeling in my stomach. OMG, I hold her ... then I ask a litany of questions? Are you okay? Did you cry? Did it hurt? Does it hurt now? How did it happen? When? Where? Who did you tell? What can I do to make it better? Is there anything? Can I kiss it better for you?

She was totally fine and handling it like a big girl, but I was so terribly scared, worried, sad and hurt. My mind was racing at million miles per hour. I just couldn't explain what I was feeling. I think I was confused but I am not really sure. Every time she showed me or I saw the scar, I went through the entire emotional roller coaster again.

I never thought I would ever feel anything like this; you know truly feeling pain for another being - it kind of caught me by surprise and all I could think of was my mother telling me that there are so many things that she still worries about when it comes to my brother and me and it will NEVER stop. I guess I've had my first experience of those things that only a mama could experience.