And Wishing You Happy Holidays
I’m sitting here, during the calm before the storm of my daughter and her family coming over for dinner. Turkey and ham are in the oven, the sides just need to be heated up, and I’m sitting while I can and counting my blessings.
My grandson is on the mend after a visit to the emergency room last week. He had croup, which I dealt with annually with his daddy when he was little for years, so I wasn’t too worried until my daughter-in-law called crying, saying she was scared, because he seemed to be having trouble breathing. This was after a trip to the pediatrician, who told her he’d be fine and to take him out into the night air and spend time in a steamy bathroom, which was the same advice I’d been given as a young mother.
Thank God my daughter-in-law is strong and went a step further, calling the paramedics later that evening, who came to check on our boy and announced he also had “Strider (?),” a condition that sometimes combines with croup, among other things, and referred to having difficulty breathing. They gave my girl the same advice about cold air and steam. About an hour later, my girl called a 24 hour emergency nurse line, because he seemed to be getting worse. The nurse asked her to put the phone next to the baby and let her hear his breathing. Just about that time, his lips started to turn blue. The nurse told her to go to the emergency room immediately.
She did, God love her. Did I mention her husband, my son, was out of town on business, and she’s in her third trimester of her second pregnancy? She walked into the hospital, the baby coughed, which got the attention of the nurse at the desk, and she took my babies to a room immediately, bypassing the others in the waiting room. A couple breathing treatments later, along with a shot of steroids, and they went home.
My son, in the meantime, got the next flight home, a redeye that left at four something in the morning, and headed home to help. He’d been following them through the Nanny-Cam cameras through the house and was about to climb the walls. They sent me a picture later that day of all three (well, 4 counting the little brother who won’t make a personal appearance until February-March), all in bed together, with the little guy sleeping sideways, his feet in his dad’s face, and his head across his mom’s neck, crashed out to the world, or at least the guys were, my daughter-in-law having taken the picture.
Within two days, their biggest challenge was keeping the little man from running around, which triggered more coughing, which had the potential to trigger that “Strider” business again. He wanted to go for a walk and was mad that his parents insisted he do so in his stroller, rather than running around free. I’m so terribly grateful for his recovery and for his mother, who refused to follow doctor’s orders and paramedic orders and listened to her heart and got him the help he needed.
Speaking of the upcoming appearance of my second grandson, what a miracle babies are, aren’t they? Have you ever thought of how that little dividing cell grows and becomes an actual person about nine months later? This little guy – Joshua – is so active, too! I can’t wait to meet the little guy.
I’ll see my two granddaughters tonight for dinner. One is a teenager in high school, and her little sister is an extremely precocious two and a half year old. She’s talking up a storm and can be a little persnickety at times, but oh, what a blessing they both are. My son-in-law has to work, so I’m not sure if I’ll see him or not, but he’s a great father, husband, and son. They include me in so much of what they do as a family.
My other daughter is going back to get her PhD as an anesthetic nurse specialist next year. Her boyfriend, a lieutenant in the fire department is willing to support her both financially as well as personally for the next three years as she does that, and he’s a great guy. He has two teenaged boys himself, and they talk about starting an additional family together after her schooling is finished. The more the merrier!
I’m taking leftovers to my mother-in-law’s tomorrow for a Christmas lunch together. We had coffee this morning together, because I had to tell her that her good friend has been turned over to Hospice care, and she’s nearing the end of her time on Earth. She was a bit put out, because she said she was older and was supposed to go first. The third of their trio left us last summer, so they were already one short.
Despite her own battle with cancer and receiving the bad news regarding her friend of over 60 years, she sat and looked over at me and said, “I know there is a lot of suffering going on, including people I know, but I have to say, I’ve never felt so loved or so blessed as I do right now, and I feel such joy. I know that’s strange, but it’s true.”
I said, “You know, Mom, the time you need joy the most in your life is not when things are going well, it’s when things are shaky. You’ve discovered the trick to finding and holding on to joy, even when it’s not as obvious as it is when things are running smoothly. Good for you. You’re teaching the rest of us how to do that.”
So, yeah, I’m sitting here, counting my blessings, and they are many. You guys are among them. Thank you for your support, your comments, and your prayers and good wishes. They and you are very appreciated, and I really mean that. If you celebrate the holiday, Merry Christmas! Please know I’m grateful for you, and I’ll be in touch in a couple days to encourage you to bring in the new year with joy, love, hope, and peace. In the meantime, if you’re thinking of Baby Jesus, listen to a lesser known Christmas carol, The Cherry Tree Carol, by Peter, Paul, and Mary. It’s brilliant! Gives me chills and brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it. Beautiful! Enjoy your holidays.
Blessings to every one of you.
Love, Jodie
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