My Son Is My Teacher
Last night we had a little incident with my middle son. He's fine, totally fine. However, it left me with a few thoughts that I wanted to share here.
After arriving at the emergency room to meet our sitter, and seeing a gash in my sweet boy’s forehead, almost to the bone, I saw stars for a minute and then wanted to scream. I didn't show it but I was rattled....badly. And yet…he was calm. A little teary, but completely calm.
He’s a resilient kid. This we’ve always known…since before he was Leo. My pregnancy with him was not an easy one (a story I will share in due time), and for a while it was not clear if he was going to stick with us. Luckily for us, not only did he stick around, but he’s been asserting his stubborn and resilient nature ever since. I should have known when he flipped in utero and refused to come out head first, that this kid was a fighter.
So yes, nature vs. nuture plays a role here, but still. How is it that my child could remain SO calm in the face of blood, pain and needles while I would most likely have been FUH-REAKING out. The surgeon was literally looking at the thin layer of skin covering his skullcap but there he was, laughing at a story we were telling in order to keep him from moving too much. As adults, is there a lesson we can learn here about how to remain so calm in the face of challenge?
Chillaxing, mid-stitch.
I think it might be about living in the moment…BEING in the moment. I’m generalizing here, but many kids around this age (4-ish) seem to live in the moment all the time. In fact transitions can be tricky because they are SO engaged in whatever it is they are doing at the very moment. I saw this last night in the hospital and was reminded how little worry there is at this age about the past, the future…it’s just about being. Even if there is that fear, it’s often short lived.
To me, the lesson from my sweet boy last night was never to forget that the present moment is truly all we have. If one can just focus intently on something, it’s possible to truly change your mindset. So, if something bad is happening, let’s shift our perspective to something good as a distraction. Have you ever had something go wrong in the morning,and then bad things just keep happening all day, like a cloud is following you? Try shifting your mindset, focusing on the moment and the little things to be grateful for, and see how everything changes.
In the end, I’m proud of my son for his resilience, but I also appreciate his reminder to me to be strong, to focus on the moment and to try to endure challenges that come my way with grace and positivity.
Sharing a laugh on the way home.
