Tenderness

Every parent loves a sleeping child. And a sick sleeping child even more so.

Moy Moy has pneumonia again - it's a regular winter event and we have gotten better at dealing with it each passing year, handling the chest physio, the nebulizing, the high fevers and the dangerous sounding coughs with - almost - practiced ease.

When we panic, Sebastian is always on call. If, for some reason, he's not available (as this year when he is in Holland on a fellowship), Vibha guides us long-distance from Mumbai and Dr Manish Jain is one of those old-fashioned docs who still makes house calls if required. We feel so lucky and so blessed by the community of support this young woman has inspired around us.

This morning, I gave Moy her first bath after the diagnosis (Ravi was away and the biddies weren't watching - no good Indian will allow a bath when a child is ill).

I put fresh sheets on the bed and flowers at the table beside her. Then I dressed her in a soft white sweater and covered her with the beautiful patchwork quilt the Foundation had given her for her 20th birthday . . .pink hearts. I gave her her breakfast and the five different meds she is taking, did the nebulizing and watched as she fell asleep - exhausted by all my ministrations.


Then I stood there just gazing at her for a while, overcome briefly by a wave of tenderness for my brave, sleeping child. Bless her.