This is the story of Erin Branham and how she arrived at the decision of whether or not she should have a party commemorating her thirtieth birthday.
Let's go back a few years. It was second grade, and she was having a party - a Cabbage Patch pool party, no less! She was so excited.
Her friends Becky and Jenny and Beth and Melissa all came, plus a few others.
The girls were having a great time splashing and swimming in the pool, until Becky - who was known for being a wee bit klutzy - sunk the boogie board she was playing with deep beneath the pool's surface. The boogie board shot like a rocket from beneath Becky, hitting Melissa square in the eye.
It was awful.
An emergency call was made to Melissa's mother, who picked her up and took her to the doctor immediately.
The party moved indoors and Little Erin decided to show her friends the family guinea pigs.
Beth - who was known for being a wee bit klutzy - was holding Cocoa when she lost her grip. Cocoa crashed to the ground and lay motionless. Miraculously, Cocoa began moving. She was alive and just a bit stunned.
