Mother-Daughter Bonding

The 45 minutes I spent this morning, jangled awake by the voice of my daughter complaining of a sore throat ("It's strep, Mom"), were actually quite lovely. Wonderful bonding time even if I was grumpy about being awakened too early and forced to listen to concerns that could have waited. Sigh.

After the inspection of her throat with a flashlight, suggesting 2 aspirin (best if you just bite and chew them dear as they have a nice anesthetic effect on the throat), and rummaging through the medicine chest for the Cepacol lozenges, we spent some nice time talking as she lay beside me in the bed. Denny had been up and on to the day's tasks of early preparations for the smoked turkey and baked beans planned for tomorrow's Easter lunch.

Laugh we did. Laughter is the balm (and the bomb) that soothes the soul, I'm absolutely convinced.

I ended up sharing with her some old (and very true) stories related to how I decided to become a doctor. She never knew; fancy that. Also, the story of how I was hospitalized during the 8th month of my pregnancy with her. She never knew this either. I made the stories funny even though they were serious at the time.

All mention of the sore throat vanished and by the time she was summoned into action by her I phone, she allowed as how she was feeling "much better".

I love mother-daughter bonding time. Unpredictable in timing. Indelibly sweet. Joyful always.