EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Mother Knows Best
|
||||
|
When my extended family gathers around the table on Thanksgiving to share what each of us is most grateful for, I will say what I say every year. I’m thankful for my family’s health. This year, I will mean it more than at any other time. From brain scans to biopsies, 2004 was full of health scares for our family. Still, my sons will wonder why I can’t come up with something more original and less mom-like than “good health.” So, here is the list of what I have been most thankful for over the years. • Tylenol. At 2 a.m., when fevers rage to 104 degrees, there are few things I would rather have access to than a full dose of Tylenol for my child. When my palm finally finds a cool forehead, it’s as if this miracle medication has worked on me, as well. • Antibiotics are a close second. • That fresh-baby smell. Powdered and in a clean pair of jammies, there is nothing quite like the scent of a baby your baby. • The first toothless smile your little one aims right at you. • The ER. Thank God they’re there 24/7. • My husband’s employer the source of every tangible thing we have. • My career as a writer where I document the intangible things we have. • Vaccines. • Prayer. From test scores to test results and for all the things that are out of my control, I’m mindful of what a blessing prayer is. • Sentences that start with, “Mom, can I talk to you?” Inevitably, a cherished conversation follows. • Now that they’re older, I’m thankful for the sound of the key in the front door, signaling a safe return home. Now that I’m older, I can also appreciate our share of the not-so-good times and the place those experiences have in rounding out our lives. Those tearful nights doing algebra, the baseball games lost, the early years of our marriage when we ran out of cash before the month ran out of days, the disagreements…I’m grateful for all these times. Why? Because laughter is sweeter when you’ve been crying, winning is better when you’ve experienced a loss, loving is so much better than a silly argument. And, without a doubt, health is simply more precious when it’s been threatened. When you think about it, everything I’m grateful for relates to good health physically, emotionally, or spiritually. I’ve actually been pretty succinct with my declaration of health as the biggest blessing in our lives. Maybe this year I’ll share the unabridged version of what that really means. Senior Writer Kimberly A. Porrazzo can be reached at kimberlyporrazzo@cox.net. For Letters: ocfamily.com. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This ArticleSEARCH THE SITE
