I’m tired. Why didn’t anyone tell me how hard this was going to be? Oh, yeah…they did, I just didn’t believe them. The last few days have been particularly hard. My 3 year old daughter has been sick with a fever and cough and suddenly I started to feel a bit under the weather. When I took her to the doctor to get checked out I asked the doctor to take a quick look at me. I have Strep Throat.
How am I supposed to get better when my sick little girl only wants her mommy? She calls, so I go to her, night or day. She is sick, after all, and she doesn’t understand that mommy is too. Last night she woke up 5 times in 5 hours. No wonder I am not feeling much better despite the antibiotics.
I remember my own mom when I was about 7, she was sick as a dog with the stomach flu but she still took me and my sisters to ballet class. There was one fleeting moment of appreciation for her plight when she had to pull the car over to throw up. Actually, it was less appreciation and more curiousity or surprise. It didn’t last long. She reassured us and we continued our bickering in the backseat. Things were back to normal. She was our mom, she did not exist before we came along, her sole purpose was to be there for us. Now I can see clearly from the other side.
It is strange that a job which is so thankless is so incredibly rewarding. The reason I rise out of my feverish sleep to go to my little girl is because her love and need for me is the greatest reward I will ever receive. I don’t need verbal recognition, my thanks is in every gesture and cuddle I get from my two kids. Crazy as it is, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is inconvenient sometimes and often frustrating but I am glad that when my children need someone, the first person they turn to is me. I’ll take that over a thank you any day.
Jen
Well said! It couldn’t have come at a better time as my duaghter has just begun teething!