When my brother and I were kids I can remember waking up in the middle of the night throwing up (or waking up to my brother throwing up) and can remember crying and feeling soooo sick. I can remember tip toeing to my parents room and knocking ever so lightly on their door to tell them I (or my brother) was sick. Their response always surprised me "oh you're sick. Go back to bed, sleep it off" and my response but "I'm throwing up and my bed is a mess".... "Take some medicine and change your sheets, you will be okay"
Okay.... Yep okay I was and okay I am today.
But I still can't help but to reflect back on this. I would imagine I was in elementary school. I just can't imagine as a mother or a father telling my child to go take care of themselves when they are vomiting. And the worst part, I can remember being sick vomiting ALOT as a child too... That's the sad part. I am sure I reached a time in my life where I no longer knocked on my parents door to let them know I was sick. I just took care of myself.
I can remember many nights getting up as a child and taking care of myself or taking care of my brother when he was sick. I can remember going to the medicine cabinet getting my own medicine. I can remember stripping down my sheets off my bed then going to sleep on the couch because I had no extra sheets to put on my bed. I can remember standing in the bathroom with my older brother when he would awake sick and bringing him medicine. I can even remember him coming into my room in the middle of the night and sleeping on my floor because we was sick. I can remember him even asking me one night if it was normal to pee blood. The list goes go and on.
As a mother now, I look reflect back on those early years of my life in awe. Tonight Raegan was very sick. She was vomiting over and over and it was completely breaking my heart. I could never imagine telling Raegan "go back to bed, sleep it off" I cannot imagine not getting up with her in the middle of the night or telling her to go take care of herself.
Now I know Raegan is a baby and that's different than a child. And I am sure (well hopeful) that my parents got up with me as a baby, but even when Raegan is older. Heck, she could be an adult but (I had an explicit word here then my fruits of the spirit came back to me) if she's puking her guts out I WILL be there holding her hair out of her face (SN: call me crazy but maybe thats why my hair ALWaYS has to be in a pony tail at night to this day) or rubbing her back (just like I was tonight). I will be there getting her the medicine she needs and changing her sheets. And I will be the one climbing in bed with her or welcoming her in my bed to comfort her. I don't care if I am puked on a million times (which by the way I went through four changes of clothes myself tonight).
Now I know Raegan can't talk yet, but one day she will. And when I hear her sweet sick voice on the other side of my bedroom door telling me she doesn't feel good you can bet I am going to do everything in my power to help her feel better.
Children are precious gifts from God. I hope that everyone treats their children as precious gifts. I know I sure do value and thank God for my sweet blessing!
All this reminded me of this quote:
"Not a way to be a perfect mother but a million ways to be a good one"
Raegan Grace,
I promise you no matter how sick you are I will always take care of you! You will never experience what I did as a child I can promise you that! I will do everything in my power to be a good mother to you! Please know just how much I want your life to be different than mine. Please know my sweet baby girl just how much I would do anything in the world for you. And this stomach bug that is causing you so much discomfort tonight if I could take all the pain away from you I surely would. I love you Raegan Grace! You are my sweet oh so sweet blessing and I am praying that God heals your illness very soon! I love you all the way to the moon and back forever and always!!!
Love Mommy!!!
