| In the blink of an eye... |
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| Written by OHmommy | |
| Wednesday, 27 May 2009 18:00 | |
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Today I rear ended someone pretty hard that it jolted my three children and I out of our slumber. Yup. I fell asleep at my minivan's wheel in broad daylight for no more then a split second towing my three children. Thankfully no one was hurt except for my ego as my kids commented on my poor driving habits which meant they were okay. Just minutes before the "accident" we were waiting for an elevator to open at the Cleveland Clinic for one of my follow up eye appointments. The woman inside the elevator smiled when she saw the three kids and I in her path and said, "You have your hands full." It's a typical response to seeing three young children, that I've heard handful of times and always answer, "Yes. And my heart is full too." But this time my rehearsed answer sparked a different response for as she passed us by, her smile turned into a frown of disgust after taking one whiff of the obnoxious odor coming from the paisley print, plastic lined, Clinique bag my son was holding. "Oh my. You really have your hands full." I let myself step outside of my mommy-on-the-go-I-can-do-anything mode and took one look at us. My son, home from school with the stomach flu, holding his make-shift barf bag. The baby in the stroller, with a stained smile from all of the Popsicles I allowed her to digest from her own battle with the bug. My middle child... well she dressed herself and was quite ready to take on the world. "You are right. I do have my hands full." I managed to grab her attention before she left the building. It was the first time I ever admitted that. Out loud. I say it to myself all the time as I watch the laundry pile grow taller and taller on my bedroom floor and the kids start using it as "swimming pool." What? You don't let your kids "swim" through laundry piles? I am a mother, with a full heart and full hands, exhaustion comes with the title. No? On the long drive home there was a lot of "Are we there yet?" and me screaming "Relax guys and close your eyes" and more "How many minutes until we are home?" And then a... "Mom? Why do I keep throwing up?" In which return I desperately replied, "Oh Jay, just close your eyes. God made your body so amazing that it cleans itself out of the germs. You need to throw up to feel better. Throw up and close your eyes." Having sudden unpleasant flashbacks from college with the last statement I was interrupted with yet another whiny question this time from the baby, "Where are we going?" Minutes later all three of them passed out in their goldfish encrusted car seats. For 30 minutes they slept. And I rejoiced in the silence. My mind wandered. I closed my eyes. Once. Twice. Opened a package of gum. Sang along. Closed my eyes for a third time.... and... Found myself face-to-face with a jolly man that looked like Teddy Roosevelt who was inspecting the damage done to his bumper. He was incredibly kind and extremely compassionate and in very much of a hurry and declared that there was no damage done to either minivan. My heart was racing as I thanked him and my hands trembled as I took his firm grip to say good-bye. How fast life could have changed for us with just another blink of an eye.  Someone was really looking out for my full heart and my full  |
