A Parent's Magic Wand

Every parent at some point or another has probably wished for a magic wand--one that would remove any pain or suffering from their little ones. Nothing pains us more than to see our babies in pain, and we'd do almost anything to take away their discomfort. I had that experience for the first time last night.

Last night, I learned it's not easy to try to sleep while sitting upright.

My daughter, 20 months old, was up all night (and me with her, of course) with a croup-sounding cough. You know the one--it sounds like a whooping crane, but you know it's not "whooping cough" because she's been vaccinated for it, as are all children (supposed to be, anyway). I could hear every breath and feel her body work so hard just to breathe. Every couple of hours, we went into the bathroom and ran the hot water in teh shower adn sink, to create warm, moist air to ease her breathing.

Robitussin didn't seem to be working, adn we had taken her to the walk-in clinic (we're still here in Houston, with my in-laws for a couple more days) but they said she's fine, just a virus. Come back if she develops fever or doesn't get better in FIVE DAYS. Yikes. Sounds like something said by a person who doesn't have kids. I don't think I could take 5 days of her suffering like that.

This morning (thankfully?) she did develop a fever, so we returned to teh walk-in clinic and saw a compassionate, skilled, experienced PA (Physician's Assistant) who has 2 little ones of her own. Picked up a Rx (my daughter's first in her lifetime) and here we are, only 7 hours later and she was just laughing and singing and telling me when she was ready for nite-nite. What a peach!

Last nite, I was certainly wishing I had a magic wand to wave over her and remove her pain and discomfort.

This morning, I realized I do in fact have a magic parenting wand.

I'm talking about intuition.

Like most first-time moms, I spent many nights during my pregnancy reading every parenting book I could get my hands on. They all had one thing in common (which was indicentally, the same advice my mother gave me):

You know more than you think you know.

In other words, if you can only trust your intuition and follow its guidance, you will find all the answers you require. At times, it can be difficult--especially in the midst of trauma like illness or frustration, but your inner self will always guide you to the right path.

For me, it meant giving in and trusting the health care professional (which my intuition told me I could trust, unlike the doc we saw yesterday, who I wasn't so sure about). It meant filling a prescription adn giving my daughter steroid medication despite my belief that medicine is bad and she doesn't need any. Seeing how much better she is right now shows me that I've made the right decision for her well-being.

My magic wand is my power to make decisions for my child's well-being, based on my knowledge and intuition.

Every parent, every person, has this same magic wand.

I also believe that my daughter required this illness--it's probably somehow preparing her for fighting off future attacks, or seomthing of that nature. While we want to remove our child's pain, we must simultaneously understand that growth comes from pain, and pain is a necessary part of life.

It's all part of hte plan.

Of course, unnecessary pain is NOT included (use your brain here!). I'm talking normal growing pains, normal childhood illnesses, etc.

For example, if I hadn't gotten chicken pox as a child (which was uncomfortable, but not deadly or even potentially fatal), I would be at risk for it as an adult, when the disease can be far more debilitating. I had to suffer that discomfort to protect me from the illness for the rest of my life. I'm sure my mother didn't like to see me itching and spotted with red dots, but she knew it was a necessary part of my well-being in teh long run.

I love my little girl more than the world, and I would do anything to protect her. But part of being a mature parent (as I am learning) is that I must protect her whole being and I must have the vision to protect her for the long run. I can't make decisions based on emotion right now becaue I may tend to take the easy road which can create problems down the line. Such, I am learning about discipline. I have to stick to my guns and be firm, otherwise I will end up with an unruly child who cannot adapt to situations around her as an older child. She will be in for a rude awakening later in life unless I am strong now and do what's right for her whole being for the long haul.

Thus ends my dissertation on parenthood. I'd love to hear your comments, as well.

In the meantime, here is your question for today:

Where in your life do you deserve to be less short-sighted and more visionary? Are you prepared to make the tough short-term decisions that will ensure the best long-term outcome?