Thursday, February 5, 2009

Loving the pieces of life


As a mom, this picture is bittersweet. MeiLin broke her arm the first day of first grade this year.

By the time I picked her up at school, she was in shock and alternated between crying quietly, moaning and unconsciousness.

But, she was brave...more so than I thought she could be...and strong. And, yet, she completely needed us to be there, to love her, to surround her.

Our kids do much to surprise us. The only guarantee in parenting seems to be that we must daily reset our expectations.

MeiLin's arm is healed now and she cherishes the bear the hospital nurse gave her. I cherish these photographs snapped with my cell phone. I know that someday soon she will be grown and we won't be as needed for awhile. The memories will remain...and maybe even that blankie!

3 comments:

Dr. Rick said...

It is so hard to see your child in such a condition. I know as you were in traction with a pin in your arm in a bed in an Army hospital in Denver for three weeks.

You too, surprised us and the doctors, who said you might only have 65-75% use of your arm at best. They did not count on you swinging on swings as so many other things within a short time of having the pin out.

I do not know what your memories are of that time, but mine can still bring pain just as the memories of the Icelandic Tonsil Saga.

Yep, you needed us so much then and so little now. We did our best to give you wings to fly on your own, and you have soared higher than we dared imagine. I am sure MeiLin and Maiya will out pace your expectations.

Dr. Rick said...

I meant to say "and so many ..."

Clare said...

Great post thhankyou