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There was a time in my life when I was a super hero, at least where my kids were concerned. I was the brave and fearless Mommy that was always at the ready to banish the monsters that go bump in the night with a fist full of foo foo dust, heal a boo boo with a swiftly placed magic kiss or scoop up all three kids to save them from the thunder monster. But alas, those days have passed. My kids are all grown up. It’s sad to say but gone are the days of simple problems easily fixed with a hand full of foo foo dust or a strategically placed magic kiss.
Sometimes I am sad watching my children struggle through grown up life problems knowing full well there is not a thing I can do to “fix” them. I have no super powers in the land of adults. My cape is invisible and my arsenal of magic is ineffective in banishing the real world monsters that traipse through the lives of my children.
In the middle of the day I got a phone call from Jess. This is not unusual since she and her sister, Christi, call me when they are driving home from work. The minute I said hello, I knew there was a problem. My “I’m not a baby” child who would walk on water so that no one would ever say she couldn’t do something had a slight tremor in her voice.
Jess is due to have her first baby in 5 weeks. For a first time Mom, these are pensive times. Everything in Jess’ little body is foreign at this point. Every ache, every pain suspect to its nature. There is the constant fear that something may be wrong with the baby. There is the constant fear that labor will come and because she has never done it before, she will not know what is going on until it is too late to make the hour drive to the hospital. Nightmares of delivering her precious bundle of joy on the side of interstate 24 keeps Jess on high alert at all times.
Jess was having some lower abdominal pain and the doctor wanted her to come in right away. Chambliss, Jess’ husband and the new father to be, was in a meeting at work and could not get away. Chambliss made the suggestion that Jess call her Mom. I dropped the work I was doing and was out the door. I was waiting for Jess when she pulled in. As she walked across the parking lot I could tell from her body language she was worried. When she saw me she straightened her posture. It reminded me so much of when she was a little girl. She would be scared or upset but when she saw me she would always stand a little bit taller and raise her chin in defiance—there was no way she was going to let her Mom say she was a baby.
Luckily for little Mr. Tanner, but somewhat unlucky for his Momma the pain was being caused by a bladder infection. Luckily his grandma got to be there and hear his precious little heartbeat for the first time. Relieved that nothing was wrong, Jess and I got in our separate cars and drove out of the parking lot. Jess was relieved that nothing was wrong with her baby. I was relieved, that even though my baby was a grown woman getting ready to have a baby of her own, that there was nothing wrong with my baby either.
Driving home I smiled to myself. The kids may have grown out of foo foo dust and magic kisses but three little words made me know that the Super Mom Cape was still on active duty.
“Thank you Mommy.”
