I needed a break … so I piled my girls into the car and went to the beach for the weekend. Had a great time, as it was cooler out there than in the city. My daughter had a great time playing in the sand, and it started out like a wonderful vacation. I just didn't end that way.

That night, I made a cup of tea while I was getting every thing ready for bed. My two year old daughter was able to reach the cup and pulled the boiling water on top of her. All the emotion that a parent experiences when their baby and an accident went through me as we got her into the tub with cold water.

I now realize that it isn't lawyers that follow ambulances … it is father's driving behind with tear-filled eyes looking through the ambulance windows at two of the most precious souls in the world. I did a lot of thinking on the way over …

But one bright thought popped up in the midst of this Pandora's box of horror … it was amazing to me that here I was, on vacation, miles from home, but when the accident happened, I was able to dial three numbers on a phone, and summon people to help me.

For all of its problems, this society that we have set up for ourselves, is pretty good. Sure, it is easy for us to see the problems with the cost of healthcare, its lack of effectiveness in prevention, etc. But when it comes to trauma and emergency care … we've got it pretty good.

Where would we be without 911? Emergency rooms with burn salve? Codeine to make your baby sleep through the pain? And for a small hospital on the Oregon coast, they even gave my baby a little stuffed animal for her to clutch while she was scared.

Yeah, there is room for improvement, but right now, I can't think of any.