heart of a mother

Yesterday I took the kids to the store and when we were there Zara's car seat tipped off the shopping cart and landed flat on the ground.  It shook me up.  I nearly cried on the spot but there were other people around - women -  and I didn't want to be embarrassed.  One lady helped me by getting a damp paper towel to put on Zara's red forehead.  Another lady told me the same thing happened to with her son and he was ok.  I was grateful for the encouragement but still worried.

Half an hour after the fall Zara smiled at me.  I knew she was ok and it was just what I needed to breath easy again.  Something about being a mom brings the worst scenarios to mind in those situations.  The other day my dad told me he had to fill out a fun survey for everyone going to girl's camp.  He's the bishop.  One of the questions on it was "What's your greatest fear?".  He said it's not something he ever contemplated but he wrote "being alone".  My dad is one of 10 kids and he has 8 children so I can totally understand.

The incident with Zara reminded me how terrible it is as a mom and see my kids go through pain without being able to do something about it.  I would rather it be mine than see them suffer.  That is one of my greatest fears - not being to help my kids in physical, mental, or emotional pain.

I feel so blessed that Zara is fine.  She smiled a lot the rest of the day yesterday and today too.  For my heart I wanted to be with her every minute to reassure myself everything was ok.

I've been reading Stephanie Nielson's book and it has been a great reminder of how special being a mother really is.  I love my children so much and I love my life.

What are some scary parenting experiences you've had?