So I camped out in the hallway the other night. I prepared a foamie and sleeping bag and everything. I didn't bother getting into my pyjamas because I knew that I wouldn't be sleeping.
The family was sick. And by sick, I mean like really sick. And by family, I mean like the whole family.
It started with the 2 year old throwing up, then moved on in a matter of hours to the 6 yr. old, then the 4 yr old, then the 12 yr. old, and finally the 37yr old. More were to follow the next day.
God in His great wisdom protected me from this virus, so that I was ready to help everyone. (It didn't feel like great wisdom at the time!)
Anyway, the reason I think this is a story worth telling is because, it occured to me during that long night, that there is no preparing anyone for this. People have told me often about various big decisions in life that they don't feel prepared for. I myself have felt ill prepared for many things in my own life. One might not be prepared to start a family, have another child, or change jobs. And while I'm sure there are always some legitamate reasons for waiting on these things, I have learned that you will never be ready for a lot of it.
When the children began throwing up in the night, my husband and I switched into clean up mode....me running the shower for the kid, and Michael stripping the bedding and starting on laundry, my oldest daughter literally marveled at our expertise. She had no idea we were so good at cleaning up puke! I thought to myself, no one ever showed me. No one ever told me what to do. You just do it. You just have to.
Isn't that what it's all about really? When you bring a new baby into the world, you just do it. You have everything you need. You have milk, you have intincts.
I don't know...maybe I'm still not functioning properly from being awake for two days. But it just occured to me that in the end, after all the waiting and deciding we do in life; after all the worrying and second-guessing....in the end...we just do it. We have it in us. We are ready for anything.
