I have had so many people say to me, “I could never go through watching my newborn, my baby, or my toddler go through open heart surgery.” “I couldn’t imagine.” As a parent, we all can imagine. We know the pain we feel with our child’s scraped knees, busted lips, and broken hearts. The leap to a broken bone, heart surgery, brain cancer, or even death isn’t that far out of reach for our imagination; wanting to go there, is an entirely different story.
Whenever life throws its biggest challenges our way, I like to remind myself that someone always has it better and someone always has it worse. It doesn’t lessen the pain of what you are watching your own child go through, but it does allow room to appreciate your experience.
For every parent worried about their child getting in trouble for being too talkative, there is another concerned about their child being non-verbal.
For those worried about their child not having the stamina to play, or to walk a long distance there are also worries about affording a handicap accessible van to accompany their child’s new wheelchair or walker.
For the father carrying their child into the ER in need of stitches, another Dad is handing their child over to a heart surgeon, and yet another is learning their child hasn’t survived a procedure.
For each Momma stressing to get their kiddos out the door and post their first day of school day images on social media, there is another Momma looking at those pictures, mourning yet again, reminded of a milestone ripped from them too soon.
Someone always has it better and someone always has it worse. Someone always has more money, food, clothing, and stuff and someone always has less. Someone always has an easier day and someone also is having a harder day. If we can remember this and not use it as a comparison but to accept and appreciate what is, we all may be a little better off, accepting our circumstances just as they are.
Journal Prompt:
- What is your biggest struggle you're facing right now?
- Do you know anyone who you would like to trade places with right now - someone who has a “perfect situation” in opposition to your biggest struggle?
- Do you know anyone who would gratefully trade places with your situation right now?