This is the second letter, our thoughts and prayers go out to all of our fighting parents...... Dear Parent of a Sick Child, You are still there, aren’t you? You are still at the hospital awaiting for results, for your child to wake up, and for any glimpse of good news…anything that will settle your heart to the hope of a new day without sickness. You are tired, but you do not want to show it. You put on a strong face, but you wonder sometimes if you can keep this costume of strength on. You have found yourself to be a superhero of sorts, During those quiet moments, you feel like Clark Kent. You feel vulnerable, weak, and absolutely human. Yet, during those strong moments where your sick child is watching, you adorn yourself with that cape of strength that you have uncomfortably worn for a while now. You become Superman or Superwoman. You stay up all night watching the monitors next to your child. You make a list of questions for treatment options, expectations, and possibilities. That brave mask you wear that shows no sign of weakness or vulnerability is rarely taken off, especially around your sick child. Yet, you sneak off to the isolated corners of the hospital where no one can see you. You weep with the agony of a desperate heart. You cry out, “Please, please. Heal my child.” You bargain with God. You tell Him that you would gladly trade positions with your child. You would shorten your life in order to lengthen the life of your baby. You, dear parent of a sick child, are a weary soldier. Dear Parent of a Sick Child, be still now. It is okay for you to weep in the quiet corners of the hospital, and to bargain about extending your child’s life. It is okay for you to yearn to swap places with your sick child. You are only human, you know. But…. You are a warrior. You hold your child with an incomparable measure of strength as he or she gets one more treatment, one more I.V. that cannot seem to find a vein, and one more painful test. You stay up all night in order to catch your child opening his or her eyes for the first time in several weeks. Your shield has become one of hope. It may get dings in it, but you never stop carrying it. It has become your defensive weapon against those who bring you bad news. Although dampened at times, it still reflects a light that others catch when around you. You, parent of a sick child, are one of the toughest kind of parents. You are a survivor of a war waged on the one person you would give your life for. You did not ask for this. You did not expect this. You were barely able to stand when you received the news that broke your heart, but, you stood for your child. Yes, you are a Superhero of sorts. You are a warrior. You wear the mask of bravery, the cape of strength, and the shield of hope. Dear Parent of a Sick Child, do you want to know something? Your child knows you are there. Your child sees your brave face. Your child does not know that you disappear to the isolated corners of the hospital. Your child does not realize that your knees buckled at the devastating news. Your child also does not know that you bargain with God on his or her behalf. Do you want to know why? Because while you are busy being a non-glorified superhero, you step aside so that your child becomes the warrior, the fighter, and the one who receives the praise for being strong. Dear Parent of a Sick Child, your kind of strength only comes around every so often. Most parents will (thankfully) never know the depths of exhaustion mixed with a sliver of hope that you have gone through. Sneak off to the quiet corners of the hospital if you need to. Pray, and plead with God about the life of your child. Advocate for treatment options, keep your mask of bravery, cape of strength, and shield of hope on. For your child… the one you pray over, the one you bargain for, the one your knees buckled in despair over, the one you put on a mask of bravery for, the one you wear your cape of strength around, and the one you carry your shield of hope for, will also wear a mask of bravery, a cape of strength, and a shield of hope. Dear Parent of a Sick Child, you are a warrior.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 14:14:52 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015