I have two young, mommy friends with young children, fighting cancer right now. I look at them with sheer admiration! I admire their strength and determination to fight this horrible disease, to fight the ups and downs of each doctor appointment, to wonder if they are going to still be alive to celebrate their children's next birthday with them?
I look at them as they celebrate every moment they share with their children even when they are tired, sick from treatments, stressed out with doctor appointment after doctor appointment.........I admire them as they look at each moment with their children as a blessing since they cannot plan events pass the chemo treatments.........they truly treasure each moment with them!
Then I wonder about the lady I overheard (they were so loud it was impossible to not listen) talking to another lady about her son! She had nothing to say but one complaint after the other. The other lady told her that it will get better when he turns seven!
Then I started to wonder......what if that lady had cancer. Would she be wishing the years away by non-stop complaining about her child? I really don't think so.
Every mom including myself at one time or another, complains or vents about their children. They may have had a tantrum in public that caused us to be embarrassed......or maybe they talked back, wouldn't take a nap, or maybe they made a mess for the third time, or had an accident in their panties that we had to change because we are after all, the mom!
Maybe they aren't learning their letters or numbers, or how to read fast enough for us, or maybe they God forbid disturbed our sleep because they woke up in the middle of the night and needed to eat because of a sudden growth spurt we didn't know about. Or maybe they woke up just because they needed to be picked up and held because they had a bad dream and they needed to feel the loving arms of their momma and feel her heart beating against theirs for comfort. Maybe they aren't eating what we want them to eat because their taste buds aren't the same as ours, or just as you have finished cutting up their food, they throw their food onto the floor, or just when you get them into a clean diaper and wash your hands, they dirty the new diaper all over again! Dare I mention the toys all over the floor, all the time! The constant picking up, cleaning up, and straightening up, only to have it all messed up again within minutes.
I wonder how dealing with any of these situations that cause moms to complain would change, if we were fighting cancer?
If I didn't know if I were going to be here for my child's next birthday how would I treat them and those situations that I might find frustrating? I have a feeling those frustrations would be viewed as simply a blessing, because it would just be another moment with my child!
These childhood years pass so quickly, Lord help me to just see the frustrations as mere blessings and not something to complain about because if you don't have cancer.........you really have nothing to complain about and if you are like my two friend's.........you wouldn't complain at all because they see each moment in each day as simply a true blessing with no time or energy to complain!
