Ross

Ross has been home from school 6 days in a row, going on 7. He is normally energetic, imaginative and full of questions about death, the Egyptian kings and where the sun is at night. Recently, however, he has been in incredible pain from a viral ear infection, and has been listless, his face drawn and colourless. I know a few weeks back I felt overwhelmed by the noise of my children, waiting for my husband to come home from work, so I could pass on the parenting reigns and collapse in bed, but today, I actually missed that almost deafening noise, and the flurry of their creative activity.

Tonight Ross sat on the couch and asked me to cuddle him. He rested his sleepy head on my shoulder and was fast asleep within minutes. I didn't want to move because I was afraid of waking him. For a few minutes as I held him in my arms I remembered what it was like when he was a baby and how I loved to hold him for hours even while he slept. This evening, I felt so blessed to feel his warm cheek against my shoulder, to hold him in my arms like I used to. I felt so protective of him, wanting to shield him from pain and sickness, and from any hurdles that may come his way.

When tomorrow comes, and he wakes, I hope that the fevers that have been burning through the night will be gone and not be back any time soon. And that he will be free of pain and that he and his sister will fill the house with the typical noise of child play.