Note to self in the future when you forget what it was like: Be as compassionate as possible toward pregnant women. Try your best to remember the 45 months you were with child and how you felt. Remember the sheer effort required just to make it through the hours. Remember that you, a normally energetic, active person would dread everyday tasks because of the energy necessary to accomplish them. You had to "gear up" and give yourself a pep talk to change the sheets on the bunkbeds. Meal preparation and cleanup seemed exhausting. Activities that involved leaving the house were major feats. Time at the computer was a refuge because it involved sitting, one of your greatest pleasures. Remember the wild range of emotions experienced within the course of 24 hours. Tears of joy or sorrow could be sparked by the simplest things....getting your baby out of bed in the morning and having him hug you....Oprah's topics which were often too "heavy" to handle....the irritation sparked in you by the kids' noise level making you feel like a terrible mother....the overwhelming joy of being able to have children.
Give your sisters who are expecting a baby a break. Encourage them. Be extra kind to them. Help them. Nurture them if you can. Don't think that because you experienced this 5 times you earn something special. You struggled like anyone else, more than some less than others. Just don't forget.
No comments:
Post a Comment