Hello Fans
A couple weeks ago, one of my Facebook friends posted a link to a wonderful site called "750 words". The website is essentially a private notebook. It encourages you to write at least 750 words every day about anything that comes into your head. It keeps track of your word count, happily lets you know when you've reached 750 words and once you're finished it gives you stats about your writing. Today was my first entry and I thought I'd also double it as a blog entry as I haven't done one in a while. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with the way it turned out considering the circumstances in which I wrote under. If you're wanting to find away to practice your writing, it's a great site. http://www.750words.com
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Last night Sean and I were just drifting off to sleep when we heard quiet, but desperate whining coming from our daughter's room. Well, actually, Sean heard it first and jumped out of bed while I in my, almost asleep and so in a sort of weird dream place, took minute to realize what was going on. I heard Sean asking "Are you ok? Are you going to be sick?" "No..." Sorcha croaked, followed by a whine..."Sorcha, are you going to throw up??" "No..." pant, pant, whine...."Sorcha, use the bowl! You are going to throw up!" And she did. And we weren't surprised by this midnight spewing as we knew, or thought it may be coming. Earlier in the evening after coming home from a brief appearance with her school choir at a Music Festival Finale, Sorcha had a reunion with her dinner, via her throat, unexpectedly. (A lovely image to be sure, but throw up is never a positive topic no matter what metaphor or simile you coat it in.) When she'd first come home she had been complaining of a stomach ache. This has happened a lot lately because she's growing quite quickly right now and almost every day something in her wardrobe no longer fits her. Tight pants are famous for giving one horrendous gas so I figured that this was the case upon looking at her wee bloated tummy and her unbuttoned jeans. Unfortunately I was wrong.
Last night was unlike one my husband and I have had in years. We slept with our door open, we had a our "parent ears" on full alert for any sound of distress and jumped up with amazing wakefulness at the slightest sound of crying. It has to be about 6 years since we've had a night like this. Sorcha learned to sleep through the night at a very early age and we never had to endure one night of changing the sheets at 3am because she'd wet the bed. Between birth and 2 years old, we had many up and down, awake and doze kind of nights, but after she turned 2, the occasional once or twice a night became quite rare. Sorcha is a good little sleeper and now getting up at night because of plea for help or a hug required to rid her of a bad dream is a once in a blue moon kind of event.
So, the night went like this; a cry in the dark, a comforting mummer of "poor dear...you'll be ok..", one parent rinsing the bowl, another wiping her face and putting the covers back over her weak body while she moaned quietly and whispered apologies to us for having to get up and help her. Over and over, we told her it was ok. "We are your parents and it's our job to look after you." Not that that is how we really think of raising her...as a job, but I knew that if we explained it that way, Sorcha would understand that us being up with her not something we were angry about and that she didn't need to worry. "But you're not getting any sleep..." she said, her wee voice full of genuine concern. "Yes, I'm sleeping in between the pukings." "Oh...ok." and then she would close her eyes and sleep or rest until the next wave of "need to grab and hug the bowl tightly" struck her and started the whole process over again.
The fact that last night was the first time Sorcha has had a bout of stomach illness since the horrific events of the holiday season in Ottawa 5 and half years ago is a bit...well...ironic...if that is the right word. (poignant? perhaps that's a better word.)Today is Sean's last day of work at his current place of employment and instead of heading off for his final day with worry and stress of having to look for another job, he instead left thinking about his little girl and hoping she'll be ok. His last day will be about the night before, the up and downs, almost a reflection of life in general really. You never know when the rug will be pulled out from under you. Last week, Sean had a secure job and we felt we were on a path to some sort of stability. But now, we're back into the area of uncertainty. Like Sean getting laid off, Sorcha's stomach bug came out of no where. Today we had plans that have to put aside just as plans for our financial security are on a different path. And, as things usually do in our lives, Sorcha will get better and Sean will find work.
There's nothing like a tummy bug to put your life in perspective.
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And there you have it. No worries, I won't be forcing you to read everything I type on the 750 word site, but I felt this one was worth sharing.
Have a FANtastic day Fans,
As Always,
Cinfully yours.
