First pain
Today was the first time I felt real pain because of my daughter. It was in middle of my work day when I got a call from Janae. Her voice didn't sound quite right and I remained calm while she explained what happened. She was cutting Verene's nails (you know where this is going) and accidentally cut her finger. I cringed in my seat picturing her delicate fresh tender skin broken by metal. My heart sank and I almost cried out of pain for her. Janae obviously felt terrible as well. Blood dripped down her little finger and eventually stopped.
The beauty of the experience for Janae and I was the babe's reaction. She initially cried but quickly turned it to a big smile - the kind where her eyes are closed and she's grinning ear to ear - as Janae picked her up and held her. Imagine having blood running from your hand for the first time and having zero animosity towards the one who caused the pain immediately after the act, even if the act was unintentional. As this is the first time she got hurt, perhaps she didn't know how to respond in anger or spite. Her naive innocence and immediate forgiveness of Janae is simply sweet. Both of our hearts melted. How can we not love such a child? This must be what Jesus meant when he instructed us to be as a little child - forgive quickly and hold no animosity in your heart.
When do we learn to not immediately forgive and give a big smile instead of feeling the some degree of anger?
Do I love and forgive my parents unconditionally knowing they never intended to hurt me?
I experienced the perfect response to both of these lessons today from a 4 month old babe.
Comments
Oh my gosh! I did the exact same thing a few days ago too! My heart broke when I did it. my poor little baby. So much blood for such a little thing. I'm sorry. But my Careese didn't smile afterwards. She cried and whimpered for a long while afterward. making me feel even more of a horrible mom.
Posted by: Beverly | January 28, 2008 1:22 AM
My guess is that everyone remembers the first time they felt responsible for hurting their child. I know I remember. The feelings of guilt and pain are intense. This was Janae's first time - and only vicariously for you. You're exactly right though. The beauty is that your child still loves you. And just as important - Verene's going to be just fine. :) Thanks for the post!
Posted by: Jerin | January 30, 2008 6:31 PM
Of our three kids, Sean just did the same thing to baby Jerin for the first time. It was just so sad. We know exactly how you felt. It was amazing how much blood was coming out. I got paranoid and thought maybe that his blood would never clot.
Posted by: LaReen Luangrath | February 9, 2008 6:17 PM