we have a snow day today, which is fun, but this kind of fluctuations in weather mean, at our house, a major asthma smackdown.
both anni and naomi have weather-induced asthma, and so it's been a weekend of medicines, hot tea, nebulizer treatments, and coughing, coughing, coughing... along with no sleep. at all.
annika was having an especially hard night last night. she was up until almost 4 in the morning, and her poor little throat was so raw from coughing, she would try to hold it in, and then when she couldn't, the cough would explode out, resulting in painful tears and ... viciously... more coughing.
it's terrible to sit with a child in so much pain, and feel helpless to do ANYTHING.
everything was making her feel sad. the rip in her favorite blanky, missing her dad, not being able to find her favorite book... she was a puddle of sobs wracked with coughing.
until...
i got a small rose plant for my birthday this year and it's been sitting on our windowsill not blooming for the past two months. until a few days ago, when this lovely little lady opened up.
and so, while annika was reduced to a soggy heap on the couch, i sneaked over, snipped the flower, and popped it into this pretty little vase.
it was miraculous.
she wasn't immediately better.
she still coughed for half the night.
and could hardly speak.
but that smile stayed in place.
and eventually, we both got a portion of rest.
Thanks be to God for small things,
tiny gestures of beauty and love
that can make all the difference.
-shawnacy
No comments:
Post a Comment