And this is what's happened every day since then:
In spite of the so-very-many reasons I worry about my ability to be a good mother, this incident has reaffirmed the (small) voice inside that tells me I have it in me to learn how to 'mother'. I was reminded of the part of me that loves to take care of people.
When Luis arrived home he was in a lot of pain. My (maternal? worried? wifey?) instincts kicked in and within seconds I had him propped up in the bathtub with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide poised and ready (sorry, Lui). I got his leg cleaned up and bandaged, prepared a comfy spot in the living room where he could beckon for the essentials with an elevated leg, and made lunch with a side of ibuprofen before the swelling even had a chance to go down.
While sterilizing, bandaging, cooing, and soothing, the thought was running through my head that this could have been so much worse. Granted, it was/is certainly painful and will take awhile to heal, but it could have been his head that split open. His leg could have been broken. There could have been a car passing in the instant that Luis swerved into the road to miss the guy with the weed-wacker (conveniently turning with his whirling yard tool just as Luis passed by). It could have been a million things that it was not. And I loved my husband that much more for being alive, for being here and not in the back of an ambulance, for sitting on the edge of the bathtub while I poured bubbling hellfire into his leg and telling me that he loved me while I was doing it.
If I have learned one thing recently, it is that people need care. Children, husbands, parents, friends... even us, the ones who write about the others, we need to know that we're loved and cared for. We need to feel that someone will be there to clean us up when we fall. This is the proper bandaging of people, really. I certainly have need of it, and I think most people do. And in addition to that need, we have the need to bandage up each other. I think it makes us feel grateful when we do.
I wub you, Wui. I'm so grateful that you're safe. I'm so happy to clean you up when you crash on your bike. I'm thankful for the blessings we have... we may feel they are numbered and few, but I'm grateful that they are ours.
Folks, do something good for the human race tonight... take care of someone you love.
6 comments:
You are a gifted writer. Thank you for that post.
simply lovely.
this little post made me feel all fuzzy.
you + luis = perfect.
Augh! Scary! But admit it -- that hydrogen peroxide looks cool when it fizzes!
You are a good nurse, mom, and wifey.
There is no doubt in my mind the good, caring, kind, wise, and beautiful mother you are going to be. Just for the record.
Ms Ali! Your post made me shed some tears. You so eloquently shared your feelings. Your husband is a lucky man. Your forthcoming children - lucky you will be their mommy. And me, lucky to have met you. We should get together for coffee, tea, lunch, dinner, snacks...something. I heart you!
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