Thankful Thursday : From Stress to Strength

Linking up with Kate for Thankful Thursday this week - there is one thing that I am extremely thankful for - not relating to "From Stress to Strength" and it is that my Dad's scan came back and showed that his cancer has not spread to any other organs.  He is booked in next Friday to have another radical neck dissection to cut out the melanoma in his neck before going on their holiday to South Africa that was postponed when they found the new lump in his neck.

Relating to "From Stress to Strength" I had a long think about it trying to choose what to write about.  Something that really sticks in my head is something that happened with K was about 6 months old.

Anyone who knows me will tell you I am not the most patient person going - in fact, I would probably have to be one of the most impatient people I know.  That aside, when K was about 5 or 6 months old - one night she started crying.  And she wouldn't stop.  She cried and cried and cried.  We carried her up and down the passage of our home trying to quieten her down.  She had a clean nappy.  She had been fed.  What was the problem ?  I had been walking up and down with her for about an hour when I realised that I had been patient with her - I hadn't shouted - I hadn't screamed - I had calmly held her and walked with her.  It is one of the times I recall thinking "So this is what being a parent is about.  Finding patience where there is normally none.  Walking miles and miles up and down the passage trying to quieten a crying child while having no idea of why they are crying."  At about 1am she started with a temperature and so A and I took turns sitting with her in a bath of cool water trying to get her temperature down.  Then she started to throw up.  At 6am we called the peadiatrican who had already left for the hospital so we called him there and he told us to bring her down IMMEDIATELY.  He tore strips off of us for not calling him sooner.  He explained how quickly a baby that small could suffer brain damage due to high temps and vomiting.  We were suitable chastised.  Luckily, K was fine - she spent 4 days in hospital on a drip before they sent her home as right as rain.

There have been other times when I needed patience with her but I have to be honest that as she has got older, my patience is probably not as in evidence as it was when she was little.  Having said that, I have found myself, on many occasions, being thankful that I am not as impatient as I used to be.  I draw on it when I need to - if I don't need to, I can be as impatient as I ever was !!!!

Thanks to Kate again for hosting - Thankful Thursday !!

Have the best Friday ever !

TFTD : If people and events can determine your happiness, they can determine your unhappiness.  Determine your own happiness and let people and events take care of themselves.