Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/make-it-all-better/5014219/
- Situation -"Mom-mee! M-o-om-mee!" When my son's cries pierced the night, I'd dash to his room. His small body would tremble as he sat drenched in sweat, tangled in his Lion King sheets. Wrapping my arms around him, I would hold him in my lap, brushing back the hair from his face. "Calm down. You are safe. Mommy's here." The bad dream would retreat; at 2 a.m. my arms could bring comfort when the night had become too dark. When my daughter was a preschooler and a swollen sore throat brought tears to her cheeks, I would rock her, holding her head to my chest, "It will feel better soon. Mamma will hold you and it will be all better." Her tears would dry and she would fall asleep in my arms.
Yesterday, as I scooped up my granddaughter, after she had slipped on a wet floor, I could feel her body relax as I stroked her back and she rested her head on my shoulder. "There. There. It's all better now." As I comforted her, I thought about "making it all better." Making it all better is an adult's task. Remembering back, I also realized that painful throats, slippery floors ...