Healthy perspective

The dinner conversation went something like this.

Sydney: "Mom, can I have more jell-o?"

Me: "After you finish your tortellini."

A few minutes pass. Sydney doesn't touch the food on her plate.

Sydney: "Mom, can I have some more jell-o?"

Me: "Not until you finish your tortellini."

More time passes. By this point Sydney is the only one left at the table. I'm just around the corner by the washer and dryer.

Sydney: "Mom, now can I have more jell-o?"

Me: "Did you finish your tortellini?"

Silence.

Sydney: "What did you say?"

Me: "Did you finish your tortellini?"

More silence.

AJ: "She said, 'Did you finish your tortells...'." (He couldn't remember how to pronounce it.)

Sydney: "AJ, you stay out of it."

Hmmm... I wonder where she learned that line? I rounded the corner. Not only had she still not touched her tortellini, she gave an Oscar-caliber look of surprise when I pointed out what I expected her to eat.

And I couldn't be more thankful.

There's nothing like spending a couple of hours in a hospital's pediatric wing to remind yourself about which battles really matter.

I'm working on a video for a client that involved interviewing several nurses and doctors today. While in the pediatric wing, I had the opportunity to play with a two-year-old boy who really should be at least three months younger. Evan was born at just 24 weeks, and has spend a good chunk of his life in hospitals. This week alone he's on visit #2 so he can be treated for dehydration caused by a problematic form of #2.

Evan, at least, was feeling healthy enough to play. Two other children were bed ridden. One boy, who was probably just a little younger than AJ, laid curled up in a fetal position. His worried father could only stroke his hair. I never saw the other child, but I could hear him/her whimpering from down the hall for much of the time we were there.

I wonder if my children recognize that tonight they can get away with just about anything. For as long as they are healthy and I can hold them, that's more than enough for me to feel blessed.