Heart breaking for a Mama and her baby...
As I sit down to write this, my heart is breaking for a young mother who made her way back to Mexico. So many times we lose our minds over the small stuff. I remember my Dad always telling me when I was a kid, in fact, just about all of my life, to not sweat the small stuff. Sometimes I can do just that...let it all roll off my back like water on a duck, other times, just look at me cross-eyed and I'll eat you for lunch.
I won't lie, this has been a year that the small stuff would be a welcome relief. After Mouse and I having pneumonia, and her landing in the hospital, my Cousin going into the last stages of small cell carcinoma and ultimately passing away Easter Monday. Then my Uncle, who had fought Alzheimer's, and emphysema, and then passing away, and not one but two memorials in L.A., not to mention all of the stuff that has to be done to get Mouse on an airplane, I thought that this year has been a pretty poor one. Never mind that financially we've been doing well. Never mind that we were able to do things that prior we hadn't been able to do, it's just been a year from you-know-where, and I'd rather not repeat it.
And this Mama's heart is breaking for a Mom I don't know, who's taking her baby home to Mexico.
Before I continue with the Mom and baby, I need to give you a little info about something.
When one flies with oxygen, its a royal pain in the pin feathers. The two times Mouse and I flew out to Los Angeles, we had to have a portable oxygen concentrator, POC for short. And it has to be FAA approved, for one, airline approved for the other. Just because it's approved for flight from the FAA, doesn't mean it is for your particular airline. Just a heads up in case you're travelling and have to use one. The on board oxygen is only for emergencies. Anyway, the first time, we had to rent the unit because the company that we go through for the oxygen for Mouse wasn't quite on the ball, but that's another story for another time. The second time was a nightmare coming home. We have four hours time on a full charge of her POC, and a car and plug charger. We got to the airport a little more than an hour and a half before our flight because it's a pain going through TSA, and it's summer travel...its pretty crowded anywhere you go. We were unable to get on the first flight, and by this time, we're down to an hour and a half on the oxygen. No problem, plug into the nearest jack and wait for the next flight in about an hour. There's a problem with airport outlets...they don't always work, and such was the case for us. We headed to the next flight and find that at this point, we're down to 30 minutes. Plug in, look to make sure it's charging this time, and wait to get on board. We get our seats and find that at this point, even though it was initially charging, it ultimately didn't. We need an outlet on board the flight. Guess what? We're in economy, where they charge you to breathe (not really, but you get my drift). On board oxygen isn't sufficient for the three + hour flight, the flight is full, you have to get off, the captain isn't comfortable with you parsing out the oxygen. **sigh** Off we go. Standing by for the next flight. At this point, we've hit over five hours on the POC and we've zeroed out. Praise God we found an outlet that took it up to half charge, and a gate agent that was able to get us seated in a row with outlets. Like I said, travelling with oxygen is not a walk in the park. Its a royal pain.
Fast forward to today. Hubby works at the airport and every once in a while he brings home some interesting stories. One of them was when we fostered Angel, a Jindo Gae mix whose soldier was taking her to his new TDY. And then there was today...
First thing this morning, a young Mom was trying to get her seven month old baby back home to Mexico. She showed up at the ticket counter with oxygen tanks, which are unable to be transported on an airplane because of pressurization, among other reasons. She also had a couple of EMT's that were travelling with her and her baby. After being told about the tanks and the need for a POC, one was attained and they were able to continue their journey. The mom was seated in the front of coach class, the EMTs and the baby a few rows back. Apparently, the baby was dying, and they were returning home after having been all over the Country, trying treatment after treatment to try and beat back an aggressive cancerous tumor. Again, the baby is seven months old.
When I heard this this afternoon, my heart immediately broke for this mother. You see, I am an empathetic person. I've been told this is a gift, certainly not one that the Apostle Paul talks about, but a gift from God nonetheless. I shrug my shoulders because to me, I've always been that way and I don't always think of it as a good thing. I can be talking to a person who may have a smile on their face, but somehow I pick up on subtle things and can sense when something is off a tic. Today, even though I wasn't there, I could feel my husband's anxiety about the situation. I know, just by the way he was talking about it that it was breaking his heart as well.
I ended up having a bit of time to myself after that, and before dinner, and I was able to think back on some stuff. I remembered a couple of times in 1983 where I wondered if my Mouse was going to be coming home to live out a full life. I remember when I was down on my knees, yelling at God about how unfair He was to make me wait so long to have her, only to take her away. Then when I pleaded with Him to take me instead. Thinking back, the moment I gave my life to Jesus, the door opened and the nurse told me that my Mouse was going to be okay. But this mom won't have that opportunity. God will be taking her baby Home soon. I wondered if she was leaning into His bosom right now. If she was questioning His reasons. If she was just numb.
We have so much going on in our lives, but when we look at situations like this, I wonder how we can possibly feel so sorry for ourselves. We sweat the small stuff, and no, this year this was not small stuff, but it was certainly not on this scale. My troubles, my frustrations, they pale in comparison.
When you go to bed tonight, can I ask you to do something? Would you take a minute to lift this Mom and baby up to God? Can you please pray for peace and comfort for the family? Can you pray that even if she doesn't understand that she will know that she did all she could for her child? That sometimes our hearts have to break? I can't tell her these things, but with our collective prayers, I'm sure she will be able to feel the arms of our Father surrounding her. Our God, who knows what sorrow, and loss, and grief are, because He has experienced it, comforting her in this time of grief and doubt. Helping her to understand, in some small way, that no matter what, He was there before her child was born, has been there through all that the baby, and she, has gone through in trying to defeat the cancer, and is there to welcome him (or her...I don't remember ) Home.
And while you're praying, say a prayer of thanksgiving...for your family, your blessings, and for the extended family, somewhere in Mexico, who will be saying goodbye too soon to a Little One whose Mom did all she could.
I won't lie, this has been a year that the small stuff would be a welcome relief. After Mouse and I having pneumonia, and her landing in the hospital, my Cousin going into the last stages of small cell carcinoma and ultimately passing away Easter Monday. Then my Uncle, who had fought Alzheimer's, and emphysema, and then passing away, and not one but two memorials in L.A., not to mention all of the stuff that has to be done to get Mouse on an airplane, I thought that this year has been a pretty poor one. Never mind that financially we've been doing well. Never mind that we were able to do things that prior we hadn't been able to do, it's just been a year from you-know-where, and I'd rather not repeat it.
And this Mama's heart is breaking for a Mom I don't know, who's taking her baby home to Mexico.
Before I continue with the Mom and baby, I need to give you a little info about something.
When one flies with oxygen, its a royal pain in the pin feathers. The two times Mouse and I flew out to Los Angeles, we had to have a portable oxygen concentrator, POC for short. And it has to be FAA approved, for one, airline approved for the other. Just because it's approved for flight from the FAA, doesn't mean it is for your particular airline. Just a heads up in case you're travelling and have to use one. The on board oxygen is only for emergencies. Anyway, the first time, we had to rent the unit because the company that we go through for the oxygen for Mouse wasn't quite on the ball, but that's another story for another time. The second time was a nightmare coming home. We have four hours time on a full charge of her POC, and a car and plug charger. We got to the airport a little more than an hour and a half before our flight because it's a pain going through TSA, and it's summer travel...its pretty crowded anywhere you go. We were unable to get on the first flight, and by this time, we're down to an hour and a half on the oxygen. No problem, plug into the nearest jack and wait for the next flight in about an hour. There's a problem with airport outlets...they don't always work, and such was the case for us. We headed to the next flight and find that at this point, we're down to 30 minutes. Plug in, look to make sure it's charging this time, and wait to get on board. We get our seats and find that at this point, even though it was initially charging, it ultimately didn't. We need an outlet on board the flight. Guess what? We're in economy, where they charge you to breathe (not really, but you get my drift). On board oxygen isn't sufficient for the three + hour flight, the flight is full, you have to get off, the captain isn't comfortable with you parsing out the oxygen. **sigh** Off we go. Standing by for the next flight. At this point, we've hit over five hours on the POC and we've zeroed out. Praise God we found an outlet that took it up to half charge, and a gate agent that was able to get us seated in a row with outlets. Like I said, travelling with oxygen is not a walk in the park. Its a royal pain.
Fast forward to today. Hubby works at the airport and every once in a while he brings home some interesting stories. One of them was when we fostered Angel, a Jindo Gae mix whose soldier was taking her to his new TDY. And then there was today...
First thing this morning, a young Mom was trying to get her seven month old baby back home to Mexico. She showed up at the ticket counter with oxygen tanks, which are unable to be transported on an airplane because of pressurization, among other reasons. She also had a couple of EMT's that were travelling with her and her baby. After being told about the tanks and the need for a POC, one was attained and they were able to continue their journey. The mom was seated in the front of coach class, the EMTs and the baby a few rows back. Apparently, the baby was dying, and they were returning home after having been all over the Country, trying treatment after treatment to try and beat back an aggressive cancerous tumor. Again, the baby is seven months old.
When I heard this this afternoon, my heart immediately broke for this mother. You see, I am an empathetic person. I've been told this is a gift, certainly not one that the Apostle Paul talks about, but a gift from God nonetheless. I shrug my shoulders because to me, I've always been that way and I don't always think of it as a good thing. I can be talking to a person who may have a smile on their face, but somehow I pick up on subtle things and can sense when something is off a tic. Today, even though I wasn't there, I could feel my husband's anxiety about the situation. I know, just by the way he was talking about it that it was breaking his heart as well.
I ended up having a bit of time to myself after that, and before dinner, and I was able to think back on some stuff. I remembered a couple of times in 1983 where I wondered if my Mouse was going to be coming home to live out a full life. I remember when I was down on my knees, yelling at God about how unfair He was to make me wait so long to have her, only to take her away. Then when I pleaded with Him to take me instead. Thinking back, the moment I gave my life to Jesus, the door opened and the nurse told me that my Mouse was going to be okay. But this mom won't have that opportunity. God will be taking her baby Home soon. I wondered if she was leaning into His bosom right now. If she was questioning His reasons. If she was just numb.
We have so much going on in our lives, but when we look at situations like this, I wonder how we can possibly feel so sorry for ourselves. We sweat the small stuff, and no, this year this was not small stuff, but it was certainly not on this scale. My troubles, my frustrations, they pale in comparison.
When you go to bed tonight, can I ask you to do something? Would you take a minute to lift this Mom and baby up to God? Can you please pray for peace and comfort for the family? Can you pray that even if she doesn't understand that she will know that she did all she could for her child? That sometimes our hearts have to break? I can't tell her these things, but with our collective prayers, I'm sure she will be able to feel the arms of our Father surrounding her. Our God, who knows what sorrow, and loss, and grief are, because He has experienced it, comforting her in this time of grief and doubt. Helping her to understand, in some small way, that no matter what, He was there before her child was born, has been there through all that the baby, and she, has gone through in trying to defeat the cancer, and is there to welcome him (or her...I don't remember ) Home.
And while you're praying, say a prayer of thanksgiving...for your family, your blessings, and for the extended family, somewhere in Mexico, who will be saying goodbye too soon to a Little One whose Mom did all she could.
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