Stepping Up To The Plate

My little guy is sick this weekend. He appears to have come down with some kind of a cold because he has the sniffles and his nose has been running like a leaky faucet. This is a common occurrence at my home as both of my boys have asthma and they pick up germs from anyone who is sick around them. It’s like a vicious cycle, myself or my older son will bring something home from school and my little one will get sick almost immediately.

Luckily, his asthma is under much better control now that he is taking preventative medication to keep him from going into a breathing crisis every single time he gets sick. This is a welcome change from previous years when every cold turned into Bronchitis and he was hospitalized for Pneumonia repeatedly. I am so glad that he finally has some relief and that they have finally come up with a “medicine cocktail” that seems to keep the worst of his asthma at bay.

I was at Sam’s Club a couple of weeks ago waiting for my husband in the parking lot. For those of you who don’t know, Sam’s Club is a wholesale food outlet that also sells just about everything else that is needed in the home. As a result of this, it is common to see families coming in and out of it stocking up in bulk on their favorite food items and housewares. Those of you who have families know how valuable these kinds of stores are for purchasing those daily necessities at a wholesale rate.

This particular day, I decided to stay in the car as I my husband ran in to get some juices for the kids. As I was sitting in the car, a young couple parked their car and proceeded to unload a child’s wheelchair out of the trunk. They then took their son out of the backseat and gently placed him in the chair. The boy was about 7 or 8 years old and he appeared to be paralyzed and severely disabled. He was impeccably dressed and his mother lovingly wiped drool from the corners of his mouth as his father pushed his wheelchair.

It was at this moment that I thanked God that my children were healthy, for the most part. I also reflected on the greatness of a parent’s love for their child. One could easily see the love that was being transferred to this child from his parents and it genuinely warmed my heart. It is difficult enough to be a parent to a healthy child and yet, so many parents readily accept the responsibility for caring for a child who is sickly or has special needs. Only the love of a parent can be so selfless and dedicated when and where so many others would falter.

This is especially important in a time when some parents are shirking their parental responsibilities and abandoning their children to be raised by foster care, grandparents, or other family members. Believe me, I get to see all sides of the spectrum in my field of teaching. There are some who don’t immediately feel this sense of love and nurturing upon becoming parents. This makes those who step up to the plate and take good care of their children all the more special and newsworthy. It is to them that I dedicate this blog post.

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

There are no illegitimate children – only illegitimate parents. ~Leon R. Yankwich

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