Face!

So yesterday, December 10th, I was at winterguard rehearsal. Laura was running a new waterfall toss, and I was learning it along with the girls. We were only working a 3/4 rotation, and when I first went for a full 360, I fumbled my right hand and decided to catch my flagpole with my face. Almost immediately, a huge red bump swelled next to my left eye (see pic to the right).

Today, the swelling has gone down, but the bruising has begun. It almost looks like I got a little carried away with the purple eyeshadow. And, no... I didn't wear that shirt thinking it would match (see pic to the left).

I feel a little stupid because I don't think I've ever suffered from a colorguard injury this noticeable before... even when I was a beginner. I really hope it doesn't scare my kids away-- especially after last week, when one of the girls hit her nose doing a horizontal toss and bled all the way down the hallway to the bathroom. Seriously, what are the chances?

Maybe this is a reminder to me that we still make mistakes no matter how seasoned we get. And that the pain is always worth the battle scar.