Her cries break through the low drone of the television that’s on mostly for background noise. Craig heads upstairs to see what is the matter and returns shortly to get a dose of Tylenol.
M’s legs are hurting again. It’s growing pains. I vaguely remember those pains, generally at night. It was a throbbing ache that often brought me to tears just as Miss M is experiencing as she grows. It’s because—and this is only my theory—we grew (she is growing) so quickly. I am a tall woman, though maybe not remarkably so. However I reached my adult height by 8th grade and was close to that height by 6th grade. I remember lying in bed with tears streaming down my face and desperately trying to massage the pain from my own legs.
So we bring the Tylenol to M, and she’s reluctant to take it. She’s taken so much medicine in the last few weeks that she’s tired of taking medicine even though it will help make her feel better. Poor Turkey, finally feeling better after her tonsillectomy and now her legs hurt.
Mommy? Will you lay with me?
So I lay with my daughter, my oldest baby, who seems so big and so little all at the same time. I ask if she wants me to rub her legs but she declines. How about your back? She always loves to have a back rub.
So I lay and I rub and it strikes me that my mother used to lay and rub my back. Once I was the baby and now I am the comforter, the massager, and the mother. It feels good and yet it still feels strange to know that this beautiful person lying next to me is my child. One day, perhaps, she will be lying with her child and be struck in much the same way.
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Aweigh post below!
Monday, March 16, 2009
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The other night, my knees and lower legs were so painful I was nearly in tears, and the first flash I had was growing pains. I'd like to grow up and not out! I keep waiting for my oldest son to have these issues, and am surprised he hasn't so far, becuase every day, I swear, he comes downstairs and appears to be taller than when he went up the night before!
I never had that problem- I'm 5'1 and i stopped growing in the sixth grade.
C has been complaining that his legs hurt, too, and I'm not surprised... I had to take him shopping for soccer cleats last week and he grew 2 shoe sizes in less than 6 months! Oy.
Poor girl. She's lucky to have a mom who will cuddle up and rub her back. She'll outgrown those leg pains, but I bet she'll remember those back rubs right up until the day she's giving them.
Aw! I love this post. No one can comfort you quite like a mama.
Sweet post! There's nothing like a momma's love. I hope she feels better soon!
awww so sweet to have such moments with her! My husband had crazy bad growing pains to the point he refused to eat so he would grow slower?!?! It didn't work. Poor Miss M I hope the growing pains lessen!
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