stop whining, start hustling

PC has been under the weather these past couple days--fever, cough, presumably a sore throat (if she knew how to communicate 'sore throat'), and just an all-around yucky feeling. no fun for an adult, and double-no fun for a toddler.

as i was dispensing medicine, comforting cuddles, hugs, and kisses, i was reminded of a question that one of my childless friends asked me a while back: 'how does it feel to have someone completely dependent upon you for everything?'

at the time, i was pretty stumped at the question. sure, PC is dependent upon me for pretty much everything, but i hardly think about it because it is like second nature.

parenthood is one of those things that is supposed to make a formerly selfish person decidedly less selfish. i think i'm not alone when i say that we all can name examples of ppl--those we know personally and those we do not--where that theory didn't work and who are content in focusing on MeMyselfandI at the expense of the little person that they are charged with being a responsible steward over.

as cliche as it sounds, all of us that are caregivers--whether it is for children, our aging parents/family members, a beloved pet, or some combination of all three--are called to 'do what we gotta do' on a daily basis.

there is a little room for whining and NO room for excuses.

and your loved one's very life depends on the 'fruit of your hustle'--in good times and in bad.

so though being completely responsible for another person's care-and-keeping can seem almost overwhelming at times, it is necessary in this cycle of life where at some point, we will all need each other. as our parents age, they will come to depend on us--and as we age, we will come to depend on our children. such is the cycle of life.

and a blessed burden, indeed.