Stepping Stone

Kris was four years old the first time she told me, "I can do it by myself!" She was referring to tying the laces on her shoes. I stood close by in case she got frustrated and needed a helping hand. After numerous attempts and lots of knots, she mastered the art of tying her shoe laces.

I was hard-pressed to stand by idly the first time she styled her hair by herself. In looking at her school picures, she asked me, "Mama, why in the world did you let me leave the house with that hair style?" Live and learn.

And so when Kris called me yesterday complaining about chest pains I felt the immediate need to drop what I was doing and head to Waco. After contacting the campus health center, she decided it would be best if she went to the emergency room. "Emergency" is not a good word to drop on me. She assured me that she would have a friend/classmate take her to the hospital and she would call me when she knew something. Kris was hooked up to an EKG machine, blood work was done and she hung out at the hospital from lunch until 7pm. After a CAT scan, it was determined that she has "walking" pneumonia.

Those seven hours were very trying for me. As a mother, I wanted to be there and comfort her. At the end of each of phone call or text message, I would ask her again if she needed me to head that way. And each time she would confirm that she would be okay without me. We have both crossed yet another mile stone in our lives. She handled the situation just as she should have and I let her deal with it on her own. That is saying a lot in both of our books. I will spend the next several days keeping in close contact with her. My overnight bag will be close by just in case she decides she needs me.