SAM'S CENTS
Expect the Unexpected
Staying present where I am has always been a big helper in the path off of parental guilt. On Saturday, Mitch and I were watching my friend Katie Hood present her One Love movie at my alma mater in Boston when Mitch’s phone began to flash. It was babysitter Noelle calling because she and the kids were getting in the car and there was a nail in our tire. Just another day out of the office, right?
In parenting, there is always something. In life, there is always something. In our case, we could have reacted by leaving the session, getting hysterical and piling it onto all of the other reasons it was tough for both of us to fly East this weekend, or we could say, “It happens. Something will always happen.” Because it always will.
On our first trip ever away from the kids after we moved to Los Angeles, school called. Ella had fallen and had a giant welt on her head. I was devastated. It was the first day of our trip and I fell apart, insisting we should go home. I had school take a photo, I forwarded the photo to our pediatrician and I will never forget the gift he gave me. “STAY! She will be fine and I will be on call. Enjoy your trip.” And we did. Ella doesn’t remember that bump. Will she remember others? Maybe. But we do our best and our decisions shouldn’t be reversed or second guessed because of these bumps in the road. They are there and they always will be.
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