Her life was a happy life (except when she was given the wrong color plate at the dinner table, at which point most happy memories dissolved in the face of such tragic circumstances).
She had two parents, two brothers, and one snuggly bear who had loved her dearly since the day he was placed in her crib.
One night, this little girl was helping herself to her second bowl of pasta at the dinner table and was trying to decide whether she should sit on her knees or plain out on her rump. She was in the middle of both positions, and in the middle of her decision, when all of a sudden WHAM! She fell out of her chair!
She hit the ground on her shoulder, and immediately let out a bloodcurdling yell, certain to wake all kinds of dead things: people, bugs, food, computer games. Her daddy picked her up and asked her to be quiet. Surely some things are better left dead. There is no need to wake what's good and gone, he told her.
She refused to see his grown-up logic and continued wailing. Her mom asked her if she could raise her arm at all, and when she couldn't even an inch without many tears, they headed out to the hospital.
After receiving some delightful yellow socks (with which to keep her tootsies warm), and a toasty-roasty hospital blanket (with which to keep her rest of her warm), she was taken to get x-rays. She got the idea that an x-ray machine was like a giant science project and began asking her questions of the x-ray tech about how such things work. She was extremely fascinated to see what her bones looked like.
Two x-rays later, she was wheeled back to her room. (A bed with wheels? We should get one of these at home, Mom!)
The doctor came in and showed her a picture of her bones.
"You broke your clavicle clean through, little lady," the doctor commented.
"I did?" She asked seriously.
"Mmm-hmm," he nodded, if a bit absent-mindedly.
"Oh." She paused for a second. "That's cool."
He looked down at her, surpised. "Cool?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," she answered decisively.
"Okay, then," the doctor answered with a little smile on his face.
I would swear she just made his night a little better.
She is a trooper.
This little girl is convalescing at home, surrounded still by her parents, her two brothers, and her faithful bear who would never dare let her have all the adventures without him. She is completely content.
Very recently, the kitty jumped up on her lap and was pleased to find warm blankets covering a warm lap. The kitty snuggled up with the little girl.
Her grandma asked her if she had had her picture taken yet, and she said, "Nope. But you can take one. I can smile."
Then she smiled. And Grandma took her picture.
P.S. The kitty didn't like the camera and jumped off. That part was short-lived. The rest will probably continue on forever.

