The Most Important Job

Sometimes, the most important thing in the world to do is to sit under a sick child and let them sleep as they soak in your body heat and the comfort your soft warm body can provide.

I feel incredibly lucky that my girls find my presence, my arms, so comforting.

My mom recently got new furniture. She gave her old couch, loveseat and rocking recliner to her brother. Alyssa and I clocked a lot of hours in that recliner. In the years that we spend several nights a week at my mom's house, we made our way to the rocker recliner more times than I can count. Whenever she was sick, the place she found most comforting was sitting on my while I rocked the hours away in that recliner.

It's got a good home with my uncle. He's got an aging dog that needs as much comfort at my sick children.

This morning Olivia woke up crying, saying her ear hurt. She did the same yesterday and I wanted Tom to take her to the doctor but I was too tired to insist and he was just resistant enough that I let it go.

I was wrong to do that. This morning, I didn't leave the issue up for discussion. Of course, it helped that I am home today, so there wasn't any discussion of who would take her to the doctor.

I called the office at 9am and we had an 11am appointment. We were sitting in our very own rocker recliner ten minutes later, O's more painful ear pressed against my chest, her tired eyes closing. She was sound asleep minutes later.

I put off getting up until the last minute. We still made it to the doctor with time to spare. They took one look at my girl and had us back for exam minutes later.

The doctor looked in her ear and after my explaination that she'd been seen at the local Urgent Care just two weeks ago, he said that viruses often lead to infections lke the one she now has.

We left with two prescriptions, one an antibiotic and the other a pain reliever for her ears.

Already she's feeling better but we've still managed to spend another couple of hours in that chair, her covered by her favorite purple blanket, my hand over her right ear and her eyes drooping as she soaks in the comfort of being held by the mama.

There are moments in the night when I resent how much they need me. But more often than not, I'm grateful that I can provide the comfort they so desire.

I am really, truly the lucky one to do one of the most important jobs in the world, the job of being a mother.