Making Boo Boos Count

Chloe is having trouble falling asleep tonight.
She fell at softball practice and hurt her knee
I mean it's all scraped up.
It's bad.

It hurts.
A lot.
She's cried most of the afternoon.
It pulls when she walks.
She's limping.

She's pitiful.
It breaks my heart.
There is really nothing I can do for it.
Nothing.
It has to scab over,
then she has to knock the scab off
23 times.

It will have to heal all over again.
And be tight again.
And hurt again.

She has been in my room 4 times.
Asking to sleep with me.
As bad as I want to throw back the covers and nod, meaning it's ok for her to slide in
I can't.
She needs good rest tonight.
Not rest between me and dad, not rest in my floor on a quilt.
Good rest.

So she can heal up.
So her exhausted little body can take a time out from dealing with the pain.
She cries when I tell her no, and screams "I just wanna be beside you right now"

I want to be beside her too.
Sometimes you just have to be a mom, a firm rather strict mom.
I stuck to my guns, she is asleep now.
Sound asleep.
In her bed.
With her animals .... all 11 of them.
She is healing and recovering from her mini tantrums and her boo boo.
Her little face is still red from crying.

And she won't know it, but I am right here beside her
right where she wanted me to be.
Now and forever she will have to heal.
Recover.
Deal with life.

She won't have to do it alone
but she will have to do it her way.
I hope I am giving her the tools and  the know how
to handle boo boos no matter how big or small
by allowing and sometimes making her "deal" with the
small ones now.
Scrapes now .... Break-ups later.
Broken toys now ... broken friendships later.
Friends calling her a poopy head now ......  People crushing her spirit later.

I will never stand behind her and let her go it alone.
I will never stand in front of here and do it for her.
I will always be beside her...whether she knows it or not, just like I am right now.
Sleep tight baby, you did it.
You are asleep in your bed and I am right beside you.
You make me so proud.
It's the small things....ya know.

And now I am going to my bed.......she's good.......so good.