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Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Tick

Today at church my youngest child laid her head on my lap and I ran my fingers through her hair. Her hair was still slightly wet from the quick bath I had managed to give her right before church. It's a lot of work having 3 girls who need help with hairdo's in the morning. Anyway, as I was running my fingers through her hair I felt something weird. It looked like a bean but it was (gag) a big fat tick. Engorged to the max. I almost died. Thoughts of lyme disease and lice treatments flashed back in my mind. Finally I had a chance to get up and walk her out into the hallway and straight to my friend who was a nurse.

Thank heavens for medical professionals. How grateful I am that I have so many on my street that I have friendships with especially when there is a crisis situation like this! (It was only a crisis to me really). She calmed me down and said she'd stop by after church. I was so stressed out and sick knowing this huge thing was eating my daughter alive (the drama) and could barely eat lunch. Finally, she arrived to help me.

I have zero experience with ticks. I have never seen one removed before so I was slightly fascinated and sick at the same time. She put Vaseline all around the stupid, ugly, bloodsucking little vampire's embedded head to suffocate it and waited for it to die so it would let go and we could pull it out. It didn't let go. It had clamped down and it took a long time to get it out. Finally it came out with a nice big chunk of flesh in it's jaws but that meant we got it all out. Yuck. Nausea.

The thing that really bothered me was that I had no idea that it was in there. I had quickly done her pretty dark hair that morning and in my hurry to get ready I had totally overlooked it. What if it had been in her hair for a long time and I have just been neglectful? I felt like a terrible mom.

So I write about this for two reasons...
First, because if it happens to you or someone you know, you'll know what to do. Second, I see it all as a metaphor. How many things are sucking the good out of my life without me even knowing just like that little bugger was sucking the life blood out of my innocent baby (more drama talk). I'm looking at my bad habits, my faults, where I can improve. Life is funny. There is always something to learn!

2 comments:

Jake, Ashlee, and Jaxon Gardner said...

Poor thing! I hope that she is ok! How terrifying for a 3 year old!

You are a great mom....I only hope to be as great as you are with your kids! I've only recently realized how much kids mimic their parents-Jaxon is finally getting the hang of folding his arms when we get ready to say prayers...he hurries and says his own before (mostly mumbling!) I feel a lot of pressure sometimes knowing that this guy will be relying on my testimony, and wonder if I'm doing absolutely everything I can!

Kara said...

Cinda!!! How funny that you had a tick encounter too! I was running my fingers through Jase's hair a few weeks ago and found one of those nasty creatures! It freaked him out even more than me and now he is constantly rubbing his head to make sure there isn't another one. Every time he finds the slightest bump he panics and has to have me look!!