So my usually docile niece got into her mom's "childproofed" bottle of Tylenol yesterday. There were remains around her mouth and on the floor, and it was unclear how much (if any) she actually consumed. 6 hours in the ER with a squirmy toddler and a visit from a social worker later, she was pronounced as fine. Thankfully. That's scary and embarassing for the parents too. Especially her parents are some of the best parents in the world. A friend of ours from church (also a great mom) had the same social worker visit but it came after her son had been in the same ER twice in one week. The first time he ate half a tube of toothpaste his sister had left out, and the second time he fell down the stairs and got a huge black eye and bump. She felt like an idiot, but seriously, some things just aren't always preventable. It must have been a parent who coined the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
Man, I knew parenting would be hard but I didn't exactly have visions of forcing poison charcoal drink down a throat, holding children that were turning blue and shaking, or cleaning up poop off the bathroom walls that had been used as fingerpaint. Who knew? I spend good money on a really cool new toy for the boys, but their all-time favorite toy is the toilet. Who knew?
As I ponder this, I also think about how not only am I supposed to try and keep my children safe as a mom, I will likely be their #1 character and emotional influence. 95% of people say that their mom was the most influential person in their lives. Wow! Sometimes when I get caught up in the mundane of cleaning up poop (yes, it actually has become mundane, sad.) and spilled juice, I realize what an awesome task I have before me. This brings me to my knees and I pray that I could one day be worthy of my children saying the same thing about me. Lord, have mercy on me and give me your grace!
1 comment:
Amen.
Post a Comment