Last week, I decided to take a few hours off to accompany my daughter, Lily, to her five-year checkup. She was a bundle of nerves, worried about the possibility of getting a shot but also curious about the fun things the doctor would do: examining her ears, asking her questions, checking her mouth, and even encouraging her to count to ten. I reassured her that the shot was not a definite and that we would find out when we got there. Lily bravely declared she’d be okay if it turned out she needed one—no tears, she promised. I assured her I’d be right there with her, no matter the outcome.
As fate would have it, a shot was indeed on the agenda. The moment Lily realized it was coming, her anxiety skyrocketed. It was like watching mercury rise in a thermometer. She tried to negotiate her way out of it, and I gently explained that her anticipation was what made it scarier; in reality, it would last just a moment if she could muster the courage to face it. When the nurses entered, Lily locked eyes with me and pleaded, “Please, Mommy, I don’t want it!” I lowered my gaze, turned her gently toward me, and held her little hands in mine. “What do we do when we feel scared?” I asked her.
She took a deep breath and replied, “We do it anyway. We are brave.”
Despite her tears and struggles, I held her close while the nurses administered the shot. It was painful for me to see her upset, but she got through it. Later, we shared a laugh, and she recounted the experience to her dad, complete with exaggerated tales of how awful it was.
In that moment, I realized that this was the only thing I truly needed to accomplish that day. Or week. Or even month. Just being there for her was enough. Our lives are often filled with clutter and distractions, but the real “enough” consists of those one or two meaningful moments where we show up for our loved ones, reminding them that everything will be alright.
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To sum it up, it’s crucial to recognize that amidst our busy lives, it’s the small gestures of love and support that truly count.
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