Friday, October 7, 2011

Taking Care

For the first time since the younger kids came home, I spent the better part of this morning feeling unwell.  I've been struggling with sleep again lately (not getting enough of it!), and as a result of that and probably not drinking enough water for the past couple of days, I got a doozy of a headache last night...and it stayed throughout the morning, along with some pretty big bouts of nausea.  It's now almost mid afternoon and I'm thankfully (almost surprisingly) feeling quite a bit better.  It was sweet to hear how the kids prayed for me at lunch time...and when I announced shortly after lunch that my headache was feeling a bit better, Matthew pointed out that it was likely God at work.  I'll add an amen to that sentiment.

Seth was worried about me this morning, there's no doubt about it.  I reassured him over and over that I was going to be fine.  But even my reassurances did little to appease him.  Given what he and Lizzie have been through already in their young lives, I can't say I blame him for being worried.  So I let him lead me to the couch, where I was instructed to sit down.  Seth then ran for a blanket and meticulously unfolded it and covered me up...tucking in the edges beside me.  Then he raised one side of the blanket again...just enough for him to climb under and lie against my side.  He stroked my stomach (because I'd said that I might vomit - they're always fascinated with vomit topics!), regularly reached up to stroke my cheeks or kiss me, and asked me repeatedly if I was getting better or if my head still hurt.  It was touching, and my heart was warmed by his care.

Realizing that he was not going to depart any time soon from his position of being plastered to my side, I finally suggested that we watch part of a movie.  As I've said before, Seth and Lizzie have absolutely no interest in tv, but I figured that I could at least keep Matthew occupied while I half reclined on the couch and closed my aching eyes.  Lizzie brought down one of her 'babies' and a toy police car with lots of flashing lights, and she played on the other side of me.  In the end, we crashed like that for almost an hour and, other than the dang headache, it was actually a lovely time.  Seth never left my side, even after I began to long for a little bit more space.  He kept offering to make me tea (though he would have needed me to help him with that, so I declined!), and instructed Matthew to bring me my water bottle.

I can't say I've ever been the object of caregiving by a child in such a way, though it's fully in keeping with Seth's character to do such a thing.  For all of the challenges he's endured, likely in part because he's gone through more already in his life than most of us ever will, he is a boy who understands the fragility of life and who takes care of the people he loves.  It's a beautiful thing.

4 comments:

  1. Aw, what a sweet little love bug you have.

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  2. Nice post Ruth. Very sweet how Seth was taking care of you. I chuckled at the part about him instructing Matthew to bring you a water bottle - very cute!
    Hope you are feeling better (-:
    Shannon

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  3. That is so sweet.

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  4. That is so sweet and of course, my adoptive mommy brain is clapping with all those good attachment signs!!! Glad you are feeling better!

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