Mother-Daughter Bond


There is something to be said about a mother-daughter bond.  Being lucky enough to have a boy and a girl, I rejoice the fortune to have both experiences.  But there is something special between Artimus and me.

Artimus was in a "I really need mommy" mood in the past week.  So this past Friday, I played hooky from a night class and went with her, just the two of us, to the Whitney Museum.  She was thrilled to have me all to herself.  As we walked through the galleries, she held my hand and danced her way from one love interest to the next, all the while hanging a big smile on her face.  I didn't realize how small the Whitney is so we were done in 35 minutes.  Yes, with a four year old, it's hard to stand and admire any one painting.  As always, fellow museum goers were impressed with the maturity and curiosity Artimus showed in the elevator and through the exhibits.  So with a happy spirit, I proposed dinner with mommy at a nice restaurant.  But by then, Artimus was hungry and wanted the familiar stuff - a box of cold takeout from a Chinese restaurant that daddy insisted that I take with us in case we didn't have time to get dinner.  Surprisingly, Artimus inhaled the rice and cold beef.  All in all, I have not seen Artimus so happy, giddy, actress-like, and funny.  That Friday night, Artimus glued her body to mine and fell asleep after gently kissing me a billion times (or I was imagining the kisses because she tired me out so much so that  I must have fallen asleep first.)

Today, this opportunity for bonding with my daughter made me want to cry as I see my sister-in-law who just gave birth 10 days ago had to separate from her baby.  Out of the blue she had massive non-stop bleeding.  She was in the ER by about 1:00.  By mid afternoon, the doctor decided to operate on her even though her situation was rare.  So a simple surgery went much longer, and instead of going home an hour after the surgery, she is in the ICU overnight - a night away from the baby, and fully engorged.  Her determination to nurse her baby was just bearing fruit.  This is no doubt going to be a set back.  But in her eyes, I saw that she is determined to save her life first so her baby will have a mother.

As always, I am learning that a purpose in life, or a determination to survive, bring out enormous strength in people ... particularly woman.  I know Becky wants to go home to her baby, and make sure her parents and siblings are not worried.  I hope soon, Becky can engage in the most basic bonding with her baby - nursing.