I've always been the type of person who approaches a pool and sticks a toe in first to test the water. The thought of jumping unreservedly into a pool creating waves has never been appealing. I like easing into the water, giving my body time to adjust to the temperature. I've come to realize that the same is true when discussing situations in my life.
As many of you know, I am a high school teacher. Understandably, this time of year is always very busy for me! Ideally, I would like to ease into the school year making the transition from lazy summer days with my boys to hectic days with teenagers as painless as possible. However, that is not how things happen in most schools. We hit the ground running. Teachers returned to school last Wednesday, and students started Friday. I felt myself being hurled through the air about to plunge into the out-of-control waves of a working mom.
Friday Afternoon: SPLASH!! Birthday party for my nephew.
Saturday: SPLASH! Birthday party in the morning, shopping for school supplies in the afternoon, work at church in the evening.
Sunday: SPLASH! Church, lunch, visit family in the hospital, visit with family from out of town, church again, lesson plans for work.
Monday: SPLASH! Work complete with lunch duty, color guard practice, Keaton needs a book sack.
Tuesday: SPLASH! Work, color guard practice.
And Today: SPLASH! Work with a faculty meeting, and prayer meeting tonight at church.
I have not cooked a meal for my family in a week! My two year old is ordering for himself! Most days, I haven't been home early enough. On the days that I have been home, I either simply didn't have the energy to or we were running around doing family stuff and weren't home to eat. As much as I would like that toe-touching-the-water transition, I've been forced to cannonball and then do everything humanly possible to keep my head above water! That stops today! Today, I am choosing not to drown. Sure, I feel like I was violently shoved into this situation, but I'm not going to fight the water. I'm going to enjoy it!
While remembering God does not want us to feel overwhelmed with life, this idea of cannonball vs. toe-testing has made me realize something else about my spiritual life. As Christians, we are expected to cannonball into this world. Don't ease into the water so that those around you don't even notice the difference in who you are. Live your life so that others can't help but feel the refreshing sprinkle of the Living Water when you cannonball into a new situation. Make a SPLASH!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
I need a break!
Lately, my life has been extraordinarily busy. I look at my calendar, and I have something listed every day! Why is it that I have so much trouble saying "NO"? I'm afraid I will seem rude or uncaring. I feel guilty for wanting to spend time at home working on the mountain of laundry in my bedroom, for wanting to spend time with my husband and my children, and especially for wanting to do something just for me. I feel like people have these expectations of me, and when they aren't met, I am worthless in their eyes.
As a teacher, I am expected to be everything for every student. During the course of one work day, I am a parent, a counselor, a nurse, a disciplinarian, a cheerleader, a career advisor, a maid, a secretary, a child advocate, and an educator. If I drop the ball on one of these, I might as well have failed at all of them. Right?
As a pastor's wife, I'm expected to...Well I found the following passage about pastor's wives online, and I can't put it in better words...
"We are called to be all things to all people at all times in order that we might win some. Our attitude must never be guided by our emotions, a slight, a rejection, a burden or a criticism. We are to hold our heads high and smile at all times. We must shake every hand and pat every head and hear every complaint. We must always know where our husbands are, and be ever-ready to relay any message to him, and if he doesn’t act upon that message, we are accountable for his inaction.
Our children must sit in absolute silence while listening attentively to every word our husbands say. They must be dressed in spic and span condition and exemplify all the fruit of the Spirit. We are to have a perfectly clean and organized house. We are to live on less than what our members live on but dress above our means and bring elaborate dishes to every potluck.
We must be in attendance at everything at all times to support the work of others in the Lord. We are to answer questions of “What do you think?” with non-answers that have nothing to do with what we think, but with neutrality. We are on call at any moment, at all hours of the night, to carry on without our spouses and we are to get absolutely giddy for the pleasure of not having his company. We are not to be sick or in need of our spouse’s attention. Our opinions and thoughts are not our own, but representative of our husband’s. And he is held accountable for all we think, say and do."
I think the above passage gives a pretty good list of reasons why I feel like I can't say NO. Are all of these things true? Probably not. Are these really the expectations that others have of me? I really don't think so, but at the same time, these are the things that gnaw at me when I can't be Superwoman.
These are the moments when it is important to remember that the only One I have to answer to is God. God set me apart to be so many things in my life: daughter, sister, wife, mother, pastor's wife, teacher, friend. But the greatest role I have ever had is a child. His child. What others counted (and may still count) as worthless, God counted as significant. He has a plan for me. He lives in me and I in Him. He will never let me go. He will take my burden and give me rest. And that's all I need.
As a teacher, I am expected to be everything for every student. During the course of one work day, I am a parent, a counselor, a nurse, a disciplinarian, a cheerleader, a career advisor, a maid, a secretary, a child advocate, and an educator. If I drop the ball on one of these, I might as well have failed at all of them. Right?
As a pastor's wife, I'm expected to...Well I found the following passage about pastor's wives online, and I can't put it in better words...
"We are called to be all things to all people at all times in order that we might win some. Our attitude must never be guided by our emotions, a slight, a rejection, a burden or a criticism. We are to hold our heads high and smile at all times. We must shake every hand and pat every head and hear every complaint. We must always know where our husbands are, and be ever-ready to relay any message to him, and if he doesn’t act upon that message, we are accountable for his inaction.
Our children must sit in absolute silence while listening attentively to every word our husbands say. They must be dressed in spic and span condition and exemplify all the fruit of the Spirit. We are to have a perfectly clean and organized house. We are to live on less than what our members live on but dress above our means and bring elaborate dishes to every potluck.
We must be in attendance at everything at all times to support the work of others in the Lord. We are to answer questions of “What do you think?” with non-answers that have nothing to do with what we think, but with neutrality. We are on call at any moment, at all hours of the night, to carry on without our spouses and we are to get absolutely giddy for the pleasure of not having his company. We are not to be sick or in need of our spouse’s attention. Our opinions and thoughts are not our own, but representative of our husband’s. And he is held accountable for all we think, say and do."
I think the above passage gives a pretty good list of reasons why I feel like I can't say NO. Are all of these things true? Probably not. Are these really the expectations that others have of me? I really don't think so, but at the same time, these are the things that gnaw at me when I can't be Superwoman.
These are the moments when it is important to remember that the only One I have to answer to is God. God set me apart to be so many things in my life: daughter, sister, wife, mother, pastor's wife, teacher, friend. But the greatest role I have ever had is a child. His child. What others counted (and may still count) as worthless, God counted as significant. He has a plan for me. He lives in me and I in Him. He will never let me go. He will take my burden and give me rest. And that's all I need.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
I know it's been a while.
I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post. March held more stressings and blessings for my family than I was prepared for.
STRESSING:
At the beginning of the month, Steven and I were told that Titus needed to have tubes put in his ears, but he had a heart murmur so he would have to see a pediatric cardiologist before we scheduled surgery.
BLESSING:
We took him to the cardiologist, and everything was completely normal. Titus has an innocent murmur.
STRESSING:
Two days after I took off work to bring Titus to the cardiologist, I woke up, dressed for work, dressed both boys, and was about to head out the door when I started throwing up (sorry if you have a weak stomach.) So, I had to take off another day of work.
BLESSING:
I was able to spend the WHOLE day at home ALONE! Can you believe it? I just slept the day away. It was bliss.
STRESSING:
The calendar on my cell phone has something on it everyday. Steven and I barely have enough time to communicate with each other about what's coming up.
BLESSING:
I found an AMAZING app called Cozi that helps sync our calendars. (You really should check it out!)
STRESSING:
Keaton had his first field trip, and I wasn't able to go because I'm watching my days at work.
BLESSING:
Steven was able to go, and Keaton had a great time with his daddy!
STRESSING:
Titus had surgery and started throwing up blood the second we walked out of the surgery center.
BLESSING:
The nurse said since the blood was dark, we had nothing to worry about. It was just dried blood that had settled and upset his stomach.
STRESSING:
Titus continued throwing up blood on the way home in morning work traffic, and Keaton was freaking out in the car. We were both doing all we could to calm Titus down and clean him up. Keaton just had to wait until the episode was over before we could explain what was going on.
BLESSING:
Steven didn't wreck the car in all the mess, and my parents were able to meet us to get Keaton so we could focus on Titus and Keaton wouldn't be upset.
STRESSING:
I'm the color guard coach at school. We've had practice twice a week after school and competitions almost every Saturday.
BLESSING:
Our final competition was at the beginning of April, and the girls did an amazing job!
STRESSING:
Finances...enough said
BLESSING:
Steven and I both have jobs, a place to live, and food for our children.
STRESSING:
Church stuff non-stop.
BLESSING:
I was called to be a pastor's wife. God chose me to encourage the man he wanted to shepherd his flock. I am able to see first-hand God at work in the lives of those in our congregation and in our church as a whole.
I know this was a rather long post, but I hope that some of the blessings I've pointed out help you to see yours in the midst of your stressings.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
"A change will do you good!"
I know that change is inevitable. There is nothing we can do to stop it; we may as well just embrace it. Right?? I do my best to remember this fact, and I even find myself looking forward to change -- for the most part.
When it comes to one particular thing in my life, change really stresses me out more than it should. Just thinking about it now as I'm typing, my heart is racing. Prolonged thought will send my head spinning, the walls will appear to be closing in, and my breathing will become more labored. What is the source of all of this anxiety? A new cell phone.
I know what you're probably thinking, "This chick really needs to chill out!" And I know you're right. It is completely insane that a new cell phone could cause so much panic, but it does for me.
A few years ago, my husband and I had our cell phone service with Verizon. I had an LG Envy phone (you know, the one with the full flip-out keyboard), and I absolutely LOVED it! After having the phone for a few years, it started malfunctioning. It wouldn't hold a charge. It would shut off unexpectedly even when the battery was fully charged. People would call, only my phone would never ring. They would text, but I would never receive the message. I dealt with this for as long as I could, but eventually I was ready for a new phone. What was I going to get? The LG Envy 2. It made perfect sense to me.
Then, Steven decided that we needed to switch to AT&T so that our monthly bill would be cheaper. With a heavy heart, I went with him to our local AT&T store to pick out my new phone. He wanted me to have a Blackberry, but I found those phones way to complicated and didn't care for the keypad. The salesman convinced both my husband and I that an iPhone would be the best choice. The first two days I had my iPhone, I couldn't get it away from Steven, so I went back to the store and bought him one. That was almost 2 years ago. Now, as you all know, Apple has come out with the iPhone 4 and is teasing an iPhone 5 release this summer. I thought that Steven and I would wait until this summer and get the new one, but that's not what happened.
One afternoon last week, Steven told me that while he was out and about, he stopped at AT&T to see what sort of smartphones they had other than the iPhone. Cue the heart palpitations! He asked if I would go to the store with him to look at the HTC Inspire, because that phone was the best fit for us. I told him I would. He then spent all weekend and most of Monday talking about this phone. I finally agreed to go to the store with him on Tuesday.
The salesman did an excellent job explaining why the android is way better than the iPhone. My favorite point: it is half the price. However, the whole time he was talking, I was only half listening. With every amazing feature he showed us, I grew more and more panicky. My heart was pounding in my ears, and all of a sudden every little thing irritated me. Because of this crazy anxiety, I couldn't even think clearly enough to make a rational decision. I finally told Steven that I would do whatever he thought was best, and we bought the phones.
After having the phone for a few days, I am convinced that Steven was (I can't believe I'm going to say this) RIGHT! I love the HTC Inspire! It is better than my iPhone! So then....Why all of the panic? Why couldn't I have accepted the change? I mean really...it's a cell phone!!
If I had never consented to getting these new phones, I would have missed out on all of the amazing FREE apps that iPhone users must pay for, not to mention the voice activated text-messaging feature and a slew of other benefits. We should not allow change to paralyze us with the fear of the unknown; we should, on the other hand, focus on all of the good that could come because of the change.
When it comes to one particular thing in my life, change really stresses me out more than it should. Just thinking about it now as I'm typing, my heart is racing. Prolonged thought will send my head spinning, the walls will appear to be closing in, and my breathing will become more labored. What is the source of all of this anxiety? A new cell phone.
I know what you're probably thinking, "This chick really needs to chill out!" And I know you're right. It is completely insane that a new cell phone could cause so much panic, but it does for me.
A few years ago, my husband and I had our cell phone service with Verizon. I had an LG Envy phone (you know, the one with the full flip-out keyboard), and I absolutely LOVED it! After having the phone for a few years, it started malfunctioning. It wouldn't hold a charge. It would shut off unexpectedly even when the battery was fully charged. People would call, only my phone would never ring. They would text, but I would never receive the message. I dealt with this for as long as I could, but eventually I was ready for a new phone. What was I going to get? The LG Envy 2. It made perfect sense to me.
Then, Steven decided that we needed to switch to AT&T so that our monthly bill would be cheaper. With a heavy heart, I went with him to our local AT&T store to pick out my new phone. He wanted me to have a Blackberry, but I found those phones way to complicated and didn't care for the keypad. The salesman convinced both my husband and I that an iPhone would be the best choice. The first two days I had my iPhone, I couldn't get it away from Steven, so I went back to the store and bought him one. That was almost 2 years ago. Now, as you all know, Apple has come out with the iPhone 4 and is teasing an iPhone 5 release this summer. I thought that Steven and I would wait until this summer and get the new one, but that's not what happened.
One afternoon last week, Steven told me that while he was out and about, he stopped at AT&T to see what sort of smartphones they had other than the iPhone. Cue the heart palpitations! He asked if I would go to the store with him to look at the HTC Inspire, because that phone was the best fit for us. I told him I would. He then spent all weekend and most of Monday talking about this phone. I finally agreed to go to the store with him on Tuesday.
The salesman did an excellent job explaining why the android is way better than the iPhone. My favorite point: it is half the price. However, the whole time he was talking, I was only half listening. With every amazing feature he showed us, I grew more and more panicky. My heart was pounding in my ears, and all of a sudden every little thing irritated me. Because of this crazy anxiety, I couldn't even think clearly enough to make a rational decision. I finally told Steven that I would do whatever he thought was best, and we bought the phones.
After having the phone for a few days, I am convinced that Steven was (I can't believe I'm going to say this) RIGHT! I love the HTC Inspire! It is better than my iPhone! So then....Why all of the panic? Why couldn't I have accepted the change? I mean really...it's a cell phone!!
If I had never consented to getting these new phones, I would have missed out on all of the amazing FREE apps that iPhone users must pay for, not to mention the voice activated text-messaging feature and a slew of other benefits. We should not allow change to paralyze us with the fear of the unknown; we should, on the other hand, focus on all of the good that could come because of the change.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
I've changed my mind!
Before I had children, I never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I've always wanted to work! I needed to feel productive. I needed to have something that was all mine.
After I had Keaton, my feelings changed some but not a lot. I was able to stay at home with him for the first three or four months. Once I went back to work, it was hard. I would have liked to stay at home with him, but when I had to go to work, I didn't feel like my heart was being ripped from my chest.
Now, I've changed my mind! I want to stay home with my baby! I don't know what it's so much harder to go to work now that Titus is here. Maybe it's because I was only home with him for 9 weeks after he was born. Maybe it's because when he was 6 weeks old we moved in with my parents while trying to get our house ready. (Something that was supposed to last a month ended up lasting almost six!) Maybe it's because my sweet Titus still doesn't have his room painted and decorated when Keaton had that before he was born. Maybe it's because I've seen how fast it all went with Keaton, and I feel like I'm missing out on everything with Titus. Maybe it's because my mother-in-law said my husband is more of a mother than I am because I work.
All I know is...I took Titus to the doctor yesterday. He has two spots of ringworm on his face, he has pink eye in both eyes, his left ear is infected, he now needs tubes in his ears, and he has a heart murmur that must be checked by a cardiologist before he can be cleared for the tubes. (All of this came up practically over night! Please don't think I notice symptoms and neglected to take him to the doctor!) Last night I was up with him all night, and when I finally got him cozy, sleeping in his bed, it was time for me to get dressed for work.
Don't get me wrong! I like my job. I truly believe it is the best job for a working mother to have, and I'm very thankful that God has blessed me with it. It's just that lately, I find myself praying that God would bless Steven with a salary that would allow me to stay home or even work only part-time.
Then again...I may feel differently tomorrow. Who knows?
After I had Keaton, my feelings changed some but not a lot. I was able to stay at home with him for the first three or four months. Once I went back to work, it was hard. I would have liked to stay at home with him, but when I had to go to work, I didn't feel like my heart was being ripped from my chest.
Now, I've changed my mind! I want to stay home with my baby! I don't know what it's so much harder to go to work now that Titus is here. Maybe it's because I was only home with him for 9 weeks after he was born. Maybe it's because when he was 6 weeks old we moved in with my parents while trying to get our house ready. (Something that was supposed to last a month ended up lasting almost six!) Maybe it's because my sweet Titus still doesn't have his room painted and decorated when Keaton had that before he was born. Maybe it's because I've seen how fast it all went with Keaton, and I feel like I'm missing out on everything with Titus. Maybe it's because my mother-in-law said my husband is more of a mother than I am because I work.
All I know is...I took Titus to the doctor yesterday. He has two spots of ringworm on his face, he has pink eye in both eyes, his left ear is infected, he now needs tubes in his ears, and he has a heart murmur that must be checked by a cardiologist before he can be cleared for the tubes. (All of this came up practically over night! Please don't think I notice symptoms and neglected to take him to the doctor!) Last night I was up with him all night, and when I finally got him cozy, sleeping in his bed, it was time for me to get dressed for work.
Don't get me wrong! I like my job. I truly believe it is the best job for a working mother to have, and I'm very thankful that God has blessed me with it. It's just that lately, I find myself praying that God would bless Steven with a salary that would allow me to stay home or even work only part-time.
Then again...I may feel differently tomorrow. Who knows?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Can you feel the love?
Ahhh...Valentine's day...A day to celebrate love. I thought this would be an appropriate time to share with the world a story about the love of my life. Steven and I have been married for almost eight years, and we were together two years before that. When I stop and look at it, I feel very old...but that's a topic for later.
Our first year of marriage was spent in a small church parsonage outside of Kentwood, Louisiana where Steven was the youth pastor at a very small, very country church. We were able to spend a lot of time together that year. I had not yet finished college and spent a few days of the week in class and the rest either baby-sitting or working at the church. We now realize how fortunate we were to have so much time together. Many couples don't get the opportunity to really get used to being around each other like we did. We had the chance to learn a lot about each other. I learned quickly that the way he breathes when he sleeps drives me crazy! He learned that I don't always put my dirty clothes in the same location in the bedroom. This irritates him to no end. I also learned that he can be the biggest baby when he's sick.
I can clearly remember the week that taught me this lesson. I'm not exactly sure what illness he had, but Steven had been running fever, complaining of a sore throat, and displaying all other sorts of symptoms. He would lay on the couch and whine and whine. He would ask me to hand him something that was literally next to him on the floor. At first, I my response to these requests was immediate and full of compassion and love. Hey--We were newlyweds! After a few days though, my enthusiastic attitude and compassion were wearing thin. I was beginning to wonder if he could do anything for himself! On top of dealing with his whimpering for a week, I was beginning to show signs that I had contracted his illness. One night, I was cuddled in the recliner, and he had gotten up to go to the restroom. I heard a loud boom and some clanking followed by a moaning, "KRISTA!!" I trudged to the bathroom door to find (you must picture this) Steven on his knees half in the tub, half out with the shower curtain down and the rod on his head. I asked very nonchalantly, "Are you ok?" He said, "Yeah, I think so." I then turned, went back into the living room, and left him to get himself off the ground.
Days later I found out that he had gotten dizzy and sort of blacked out. When he hit the ground, he had hit the front of his head on the side of the tub and the shower curtain rod hit the back of his head when it fell. Had I had a little more patience, kindness, and understanding, I would have been able to help him up and show him that I truly do care. Unfortunately, I was so concerned with myself and how I was feeling that I failed to recognize the opportunity to show love to my husband -- even though he had been driving me crazy!
Steven has gotten much better when it comes to dealing with being sick, and I hope that I have learned to be more compassionate and understanding. That is my challenge to you. Seek out opportunities to show someone love -- especially when you don't feel like it. Remember: LOVE is a VERB!
Our first year of marriage was spent in a small church parsonage outside of Kentwood, Louisiana where Steven was the youth pastor at a very small, very country church. We were able to spend a lot of time together that year. I had not yet finished college and spent a few days of the week in class and the rest either baby-sitting or working at the church. We now realize how fortunate we were to have so much time together. Many couples don't get the opportunity to really get used to being around each other like we did. We had the chance to learn a lot about each other. I learned quickly that the way he breathes when he sleeps drives me crazy! He learned that I don't always put my dirty clothes in the same location in the bedroom. This irritates him to no end. I also learned that he can be the biggest baby when he's sick.
I can clearly remember the week that taught me this lesson. I'm not exactly sure what illness he had, but Steven had been running fever, complaining of a sore throat, and displaying all other sorts of symptoms. He would lay on the couch and whine and whine. He would ask me to hand him something that was literally next to him on the floor. At first, I my response to these requests was immediate and full of compassion and love. Hey--We were newlyweds! After a few days though, my enthusiastic attitude and compassion were wearing thin. I was beginning to wonder if he could do anything for himself! On top of dealing with his whimpering for a week, I was beginning to show signs that I had contracted his illness. One night, I was cuddled in the recliner, and he had gotten up to go to the restroom. I heard a loud boom and some clanking followed by a moaning, "KRISTA!!" I trudged to the bathroom door to find (you must picture this) Steven on his knees half in the tub, half out with the shower curtain down and the rod on his head. I asked very nonchalantly, "Are you ok?" He said, "Yeah, I think so." I then turned, went back into the living room, and left him to get himself off the ground.
Days later I found out that he had gotten dizzy and sort of blacked out. When he hit the ground, he had hit the front of his head on the side of the tub and the shower curtain rod hit the back of his head when it fell. Had I had a little more patience, kindness, and understanding, I would have been able to help him up and show him that I truly do care. Unfortunately, I was so concerned with myself and how I was feeling that I failed to recognize the opportunity to show love to my husband -- even though he had been driving me crazy!
Steven has gotten much better when it comes to dealing with being sick, and I hope that I have learned to be more compassionate and understanding. That is my challenge to you. Seek out opportunities to show someone love -- especially when you don't feel like it. Remember: LOVE is a VERB!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I can't believe I said that!
If you've glanced at my profile, you know that my husband, Steven, is the pastor of a small church in south Louisiana where I teach the young adult Sunday school class. Don't let the name of our class fool you! The ages of people in our Bible study group range from 18 to 75. It is a quite interesting dynamic.
At the beginning of our class each week, I ask for prayer requests. This past Sunday was no different. After going through a few requests, one of the gentlemen in class inquired about my grandfather who hasn't been well. He fell about two weeks ago and has been in extreme pain since then. The doctor finally decided to do x-rays and will be doing a procedure where cement is injected into the break to stabilize it. I went through all of with with the class only, I said the doctor would be "injecting semen into the break." I was so embarrassed!! How could I have made such a blunder?!? The pastor's wife said "semen" in Sunday school in response to a question posed by a 70-year-old man!!
Then the memories came flooding back...the slips of the tongue. You see, this happens to me often. Once when I was in high school, I was on a first date with a guy. We had gone out after a football game with a group of friends. Sitting in the booth at Shoney's laughing and flirting, we were all having a great time. Then it happened...I responded to a comment by saying "It's all your FART!" I meant to say fault; I really did! I wanted to crawl under the table.
It happens. People say things that they shouldn't. They say things without thinking. Unfortunately, these things people say aren't always funny blunders. Sometimes they are hurtful. Sometimes they cut to the core. Words are very powerful. We must be careful with them.
At the beginning of our class each week, I ask for prayer requests. This past Sunday was no different. After going through a few requests, one of the gentlemen in class inquired about my grandfather who hasn't been well. He fell about two weeks ago and has been in extreme pain since then. The doctor finally decided to do x-rays and will be doing a procedure where cement is injected into the break to stabilize it. I went through all of with with the class only, I said the doctor would be "injecting semen into the break." I was so embarrassed!! How could I have made such a blunder?!? The pastor's wife said "semen" in Sunday school in response to a question posed by a 70-year-old man!!
Then the memories came flooding back...the slips of the tongue. You see, this happens to me often. Once when I was in high school, I was on a first date with a guy. We had gone out after a football game with a group of friends. Sitting in the booth at Shoney's laughing and flirting, we were all having a great time. Then it happened...I responded to a comment by saying "It's all your FART!" I meant to say fault; I really did! I wanted to crawl under the table.
It happens. People say things that they shouldn't. They say things without thinking. Unfortunately, these things people say aren't always funny blunders. Sometimes they are hurtful. Sometimes they cut to the core. Words are very powerful. We must be careful with them.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
"I guess his ear does hurt!"
You may be wondering what kind of stressings and blessings you will read about here. Instead of trying to explain my life, I decided it would be best to start with an example of how crazy things get for me....
Back in June, my eldest son Keaton (three-years-old at the time) started complaining of an earache. Being the wonderful mother that I am, I called the ENT and scheduled an appointment thinking this may have had something to do with his tubes closing. He sat up in the exam chair like such a little man. I was so proud!! The doctor looked in one ear and announced (as suspected) that the tube was closing and would be coming out soon. He checked the other ear which was the source of Keaton's complaints and declared, "Well, there's a rock in this ear." I immediately asked the doctor to repeat himself certain that I had misunderstood what he said. He assured me that it was a fairly large rock and said he would have to STRAP Keaton down to dry to get it out. (Did I mention that my husband was not with me? No, just Keaton, Titus (who had just made one year), and me!) After 10 minutes of Keaton's screaming and my sobbing, the doctor decided it would be best to schedule a minor surgery so that Keaton would be under anesthesia for the rock removal. The doctor assured me that this would be less traumatizing.
On the way home from the doctor, of course I grilled my son about how the rock happened to be in his ear. He told me that he and Philip*, one of his little friends at daycare, were pretending to listen to music on the playground. He said that Philip's rock came out, but Keaton's wouldn't. Philip even tried to help get it out. Keaton said he was sure it was alright to put a rock in his ear because Philip did it all the time. The next day, I went by the daycare and made sure to let them know to watch Philip, because he had been putting rocks in his ear. Being the wonderful mother that I am, I wanted to be sure that no other child or mother had to deal with what I was going through. When I talked to the assistant director of the daycare, she assured me that Philip hadn't been there since the end of May; he would not be there for the summer. My heart sank!! That rock had been in my child's ear for a MONTH!! How could this be?? How couldn't I know?? I'm his mother! I'm a good mom! RIGHT??!!
After the initial shock of the rock in the ear -- for a month-- I learned that I'm not the only person this has happened to. I read stories of people who had things in their noses and ears for YEARS and never knew. Keaton is perfectly healthy, and his ears remain rock-free. I am still a good mom, but even good moms can't protect their kids from everything! Some lessons, just have to be learned the hard way.
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of others.
Back in June, my eldest son Keaton (three-years-old at the time) started complaining of an earache. Being the wonderful mother that I am, I called the ENT and scheduled an appointment thinking this may have had something to do with his tubes closing. He sat up in the exam chair like such a little man. I was so proud!! The doctor looked in one ear and announced (as suspected) that the tube was closing and would be coming out soon. He checked the other ear which was the source of Keaton's complaints and declared, "Well, there's a rock in this ear." I immediately asked the doctor to repeat himself certain that I had misunderstood what he said. He assured me that it was a fairly large rock and said he would have to STRAP Keaton down to dry to get it out. (Did I mention that my husband was not with me? No, just Keaton, Titus (who had just made one year), and me!) After 10 minutes of Keaton's screaming and my sobbing, the doctor decided it would be best to schedule a minor surgery so that Keaton would be under anesthesia for the rock removal. The doctor assured me that this would be less traumatizing.
On the way home from the doctor, of course I grilled my son about how the rock happened to be in his ear. He told me that he and Philip*, one of his little friends at daycare, were pretending to listen to music on the playground. He said that Philip's rock came out, but Keaton's wouldn't. Philip even tried to help get it out. Keaton said he was sure it was alright to put a rock in his ear because Philip did it all the time. The next day, I went by the daycare and made sure to let them know to watch Philip, because he had been putting rocks in his ear. Being the wonderful mother that I am, I wanted to be sure that no other child or mother had to deal with what I was going through. When I talked to the assistant director of the daycare, she assured me that Philip hadn't been there since the end of May; he would not be there for the summer. My heart sank!! That rock had been in my child's ear for a MONTH!! How could this be?? How couldn't I know?? I'm his mother! I'm a good mom! RIGHT??!!
After the initial shock of the rock in the ear -- for a month-- I learned that I'm not the only person this has happened to. I read stories of people who had things in their noses and ears for YEARS and never knew. Keaton is perfectly healthy, and his ears remain rock-free. I am still a good mom, but even good moms can't protect their kids from everything! Some lessons, just have to be learned the hard way.
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of others.
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