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This morning my little Jewel had a complete and total melt-down before school. Why? I'll tell you why....because I had a headache last night and didn't make bread - which means that I didn't have anything to make a sandwich with, which means she needed to have school lunch. It is the first time this year that she has had to have school lunch. Why was this such a big deal? I honestly have no idea. Jewel likes things a certain way and if something has to change it's traumatic - even if it's not really a big deal. Jewel is a worrier and she doesn't like changes. She is also very stubborn (or is it more PC to say "strong willed"?). I never know what little change may set Jewel off, but apparently this morning, it was school lunch and I didn't spend a week preparing her for this happening, so it was pretty not fun.
This morning I was trying to think of reasons why I am grateful to have a strong-willed child. I can think of a few reasons. I hope it means that she will always stand up for what she believes in - I hope she will not be moved on the most important things. I am grateful that she challenges me because she is helping me to learn and to recognize similar characteristics in myself that I'd like to change. I hope that it also helps me learn how to be a better parent, to learn more patience (even though these events make me lose mine), and to be forgiving. I love so many things about Jewel: I am grateful for her sensitive spirit, her intellect (she's one smart little cookie), her love of beautiful things, her ability to forgive and on and on.
As I was thinking about this being-grateful-to-have-a-strong-willed-child, I read a blog post from my cousin's husband. After a period of headaches this summer, their 5 year old son, who was just getting ready to start kindergarten, had a CT scan - the doctors saw a mass. They then had an MRI and learned that their 5 year old son had a brain tumor. As you can imagine their world turned upside down. Two surgeries later, the doctors had removed all of the tumor and a course of daily radiation began. Yesterday, they had the first MRI post treatment. There is another mass. They don't know if it's more cancer or if it's scar tissue from the treatments, or something else. But they can't just wait and watch it. More brain surgery is required. I have been close to this cousin for my whole life, we are close in age, we have spent a lot of time together and I just adore her. My heart just aches for her. So this morning while I was trying to think of why I am grateful for my stubborn daughter, I read about my cousin's latest struggle. I know I will still feel frustrated by these crazy episodes we have, but I am just so grateful that she is who she is and I that our struggles aren't really all that big in the grand scheme of things.
1 comment:
haha. You're in a better place than I am. At least you can think of positives for having a strong-willed child. Meltdowns have unfortunately become the norm for our nearly 4-yr-old, as she, too, has a preconceived notion of how everything should be. (Of course, my sister says it's sweet justice, since "supposedly" I am a strong-willed person. Can you believe that?!??!?)
Re: your last paragraph, I have a friend that lost her 4-mo-old to post-brain-tumor-surgery-&-radiation sepsis. I feel the same thing--so grateful to at least have my reluctant-to-sleep 6-mo-old around and grateful he is healthy.
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