Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Let's take a trip down guilt memory lane....

Lately, I've been taking several trips down memory lane.  I do that daily every once in a while thinking maybe I should have done something differently while parenting my children.  

I started the whole parenting process very young and although I loved my babies dearly and did the best I knew how, I can look back and see lots of mistakes!
 

No, I didn't break his arm!  :)



I feel like I've talked about this picture before, but I went back a long way and couldn't find it, so if you've heard this story, just hop on to the next blog!  NOT REALLY.....stay!

In this particular picture, it was the first day of spring break.  Paul had just gone to the doctor, was on antibiotics  and was supposed to be resting!  Instead, he was outside climbing a tree and fell.

I was inside covered in flour with my hair in pigtails and short overalls on, making a mess  biscuits when David, who must have been in kindergarten ran in saying Paul's hurt real bad.  When Paul came in it was evident he was indeed hurt.  His arm was at an odd angle and he was obviously in pain.

His dad was working the evening shift and his ride picked him up about then....so I called my MIL and off we went to the emergency room.  There must have been a passle of broken bones that day, we waited hours for the orthopedic doctor with Paul sitting in a wheelchair in agony for all those hours.  I was so frantic and his daddy kept calling telling me what to tell the doctors.  I finally told him I would find a nurse if he wanted to tell someone what to do, but I needed to stay with Paul.  Looking back, I know he was sick with worry and that was his only thing to do since he couldn't get away from work and to the hospital.

My mom ran to my house and got me some presentable clothing and I washed the flour off as best I could and changed clothes in the bathroom.

After what seemed forever, a nurse came in and said the doctor was in the hospital.  They took Paul for x rays and when the doctor came in he said Paul's shoulder blade was separated from something else and that he would have to take him to the operating room to fix the arm.

The nurse came to give some shots and suddenly Paul felt fine and was o.k. and wanted to go home.  That boy never did like a shot!  My MIL, myself and a couple of nurses held him down to get the shot and after that he was in la la land.

It all worked out fine......he was in that cast a few weeks and healed up nicely.

But did I feel guilty that he was hurt???  Oh, yea.

Over the years, they had many more bumps, bruises and all the drama that comes with childhood.....and then of course, came the teen years.


I don't think I have the time or energy to go into those years right now....but if you've had a teen, you probably know anyway.

Anyhow, just remember when you start down memory lane, there could be a bump or two, along with the guilt trip detour!

10 comments:

Cathy said...

We are all good at the guilt thing...........I think it is in our genes.,keep hoping we will outgrow it!!!

Justabeachkat said...

Gosh, I could write a whole book on things I wish I did differently when my kids were young. I guess all parents feel that way...even our parents.

Being a parent isn't for sissies!

Hugs!
Kat

Dawn said...

You know that I definitely take this guilt trip quite often. That's quite a story!

Elizabeth Mahlou said...

I think we have to learn to accept what is past as being past, give ourselves credit for trying to be the best parents we can be, and remember that while guilt is a normal feeling we are not guilty of anything. Of course, we make mistakes -- because kids don't come with an instruction manual!

The bottom line is that if we love them and they know that and if they love us and each other, we did, after all, do something right!

Enjoy those kids! They grow up so fast!

Deb said...

the key is to look back without feeling quilty...yeah right...it happens to us all that's for sure...my Mom still feels quilty...so guess it never goes away...I'm just proud my kids grew up to be hardworking...kind...responsible adults....
despite the mistakes we made...

Aimz said...

oh yeah I still feel guilty that my oldest broke his arm 7 times, at the skatepark, on his bike, at preschool, at school, wherever.

Sally said...

Guilt comes along with parenthood, I believe. :)

Mimi said...

HI!!!!
I just wanted to write and say never feel guilty about the past, just live for today and make the rest count!!!!
Your kids know you love them and that is what they remember!!! Mine do tell a few stories that I wouldn't recall the way they say it!!!!How it really happened is far different then their version!!!haha
so I just laugh it off at they were young!!!!!
have a great day!!!
I'm feeling better now that the headache is gone!!!Now just a head full of yuck!!!!
hugs,
jamie

Midlife Mom said...

Love the cartoon! I think we all have things that we would have done differently. I know I would have harped less on son keeping his room cleaned and spent that time doing something fun with him. He turned out good so I guess I did something right! haha! Nice post!!

Gigi said...

Ahh...a walk down memory lane! That's a bittersweet trip, for sure!