Skip to main content

The Longest Road



Most every mom knows or can remember many a trip to the pediatricians office while the children were young.  The pediatrician we used was in the next town and about a 30 minute drive.
 
I remember the days of being a young mom with my first baby.  We went to the doctor for every sniffle, fever, rash, stomach trouble etc.  This ride to the doctor usually produced much anxiety within me as by nature I am a worrier.  "What will they say?", "How serious is this?" on and on my mind would churn on that drive.  Many a time a glance to the back seat to see the feverish child encouraged me to speed up to get there quickly.  How I hated that time driving to the doctor!
 
When the second child came along, I learned a little more about how tough children really are.  For a few months, that baby quickly went to the doctor for every ailment, until the process became a bit more complicated - chasing a toddler, tending to a crying baby, waiting for hours only to finally be seen and told "it's just a virus", no treatment is needed.  I began to learn how to watch closely and listen to my motherly instincts when the children became ill.  I relaxed some and made a few less trips!
 
By the time the third child came along, we learned to treat colds and stomach viruses at home.  It seems that  rest, fluids and a calm mama seem to go a lot further for healing. 
 
Thankfully the third child is very healthy, but this week we found a bug bite wasn't getting any better and he woke up one morning with a nasty red streak coming out of it.  After doing some on line research, we headed to the doctor.  Apparently, we haven't been in a couple of years and were 'kicked out' of their system and had to be added as new patients.  My youngest now 11,  was way too old to enjoy the waiting room!  Noisy babies, children's television programs blaring and a long wait had him ready to leave before we were even seen! 
 
We finally saw the doctor, received the diagnosis of an infected spider bite which was caught early and were sent home with some antibiotics. 
 
On the ride home, I was reflecting on the changes in me through the years.  Through seasons of worry, business, rushing through life to an awareness of the beauty of each day and stage of life.  As my 11 year old sat next to me in the seat, asking a million questions, I thought of how quickly they will stay in that passenger seat and enjoy talking to mom.  Once they turn 15, they trade places with you and instead of asking the questions, they seem to all at once know all the answers!!  By age 16,if they have  a vehicle, they abandon yours for theirs!  Then the time and life changes come even faster!!
 
Instead of dreading that ride home, I wanted to take it slower, to savor a day with the only purpose being to tend to that child.  What if that mentality affected all that I did?  From the mundane tasks of cooking dinner, housework and time spent with the family.  What if everything was done knowing this moment is only here for a short time and this is the time to make the most of it? 
 
I think I need to practice that more, instead of allowing that long road to rob me of joy, I'm choosing to take over and to savor the ride!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We
17 comments
Read more

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some
Post a Comment
Read more

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.
Post a Comment
Read more