E.T. Phone Mom
Remember poor Eliot? He was the adorable kid in the movie E. T. who had the misfortune of feeling everything E.T. felt. They had a heart connection and Eliot suffered when E.T. suffered, He felt joy, sadness and of course, inebriation all while E.T. was experiencing exactly the same. As the movie progressed, the sicker E.T. got, the sicker Eliot felt.
As a mom, I sometimes feel like Eliot and no one warned me about this. Of course, I had heard the tales of how your heart grows to unforeseen sizes to make room for each and every child you bring into your life. Personally, I knew my compassion levels could sometimes be self-destructive. I had to quit teaching in part because I could not quell the need to bring everyone home with me for a warm meal and an ear to listen. I knew that having children would open up my already ultra sensitive heart to all new levels of joy and pain. I just had no idea that as my kids grow and navigate the world, I will feel and often times relive every single emotion right along with them.
Sometimes this shared emotion is wonderful. The first time my son shot and made a basket on the backyard court, I was exhilarated just like he. The first time my daughter brought home a 100% on a test I was warm with the knowledge that she could add a notch to her self confidence chart for the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. When my littlest boy laughs with the pure joy only a toddler seems to possess, it is hard not to feel that deep in my soul. But then...
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