Once Upon A Time - - -

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There was a very brave little boy.

Now, this little boy did not live back in fairy tale days. Oh no, THIS very brave little boy lived in the here and now in this very real world we all call home.

When one lives in the here and now in the very real world we all call home, bad or unpleasant things can happen and we do not all live "happily ever after" without passing through our share of fire and rain. The very brave little boy was about to learn this difficult lesson first hand.

One day, when the brave little boy was visiting his grandparents in "Consin," his Papoo, who besides being a Great Fisherman also happens to be a great Medical Diagnostician, noticed a lump on the brave little boy's neck, just under his chin.

"Macky," said Papoo, for that was the brave little boy's name. "Macky, lift up your chin so I can look at your neck, OK?" Macky flashed his big trusting grin at his Papoo and did as he was asked.

Macky's mother saw the "medical look" come across Papoo's face. Knowing that her father is VERY LAID BACK about all our medical needs and frequently tells us when we present with some complaint or other to "take an aspirin and call me in the morning" she looked up with quite a level of alarm in her eyes and said, "What is it, dad???"

"I think Macky has a Thyroglossal cyst here." said Papoo.

"What is THAT? Is it dangerous?" said Keri, Macky's mom.

"It isn't an emergency or anything, but when you get home take him to your doctor and see what they want to do about it." said Papoo.


And so it came to pass that the brave little boy found himself one day, waiting in the waiting room to have that mean old something-or-other cyst surgically removed from his neck.

The brave little boy didn't fret.

He didn't cry.

In fact he was all smiles writing rhyming words and making little drawings on his magic tablet.


Later the kind nurse gave him a little room all his own with his very own TV and remote control. She took his temperature and blood pressure.

Still the little boy wasn't afraid.

He did not fret.

He did not cry.

At long last "they" came in funny looking suits, shoes, hat, and masks to wheel him away from his mommy and daddy.

Still the little boy wasn't afraid.

He did not fret.

He did not cry.

No - - - he threw up his hand, grinned, and said "Byeeeee" to his mommy and daddy as "they" wheeled him down the hallway and into the hidden and hallowed sanctums of the operating room.

It must be noted here that mommy and daddy were not quite as brave as the little boy. I wasn't there, so I cannot say for sure, but I imagine tears came into their eyes and big knots came into their tummies as they watched their brave little boy being wheeled away.


What seemed like hours later, the brave little boy was wheeled back to them. This time he simply could not smile.

But he did not fret.

He did not cry.

He just had to lie very still for the "nasty old anesthesia" he had been under moments before had made him feel very ill indeed.


But you know what??? In this very real world, even with its fire and rain, when one is truly a very brave little boy, one CANNOT be kept down for long.

And that's just how it was with our very brave little boy. It didn't take long before his smile returned to his face and he was able to eat his supper which was topped off with ice cream!!!

What a brave little boy!

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