Being Thankful for Healthy Children

What is something that so many of us take for granted? Our healthy children.

As a parent, it can be rather easy to get caught up in the day-to-day life and hectic happenings that come from having a family. Then one day, they wake up with a fever, or they have a headache, or maybe a tummy ache. A little TLC and a few days later they are as good as new. Truth be told, one of the most painful things in life is to witness the hurting of your own children. We, as mothers – want them to be happy. We want them to be healthy and we take it upon ourselves as a parent to always do the things that will keep them just that way. Healthy and happy.

For most of us, posting on Facebook that little Tommy has a fever, or has strep throat is something we do to invoke the sympathy and prayers from others. And we rejoice when they are well, when the antibiotic bottle is empty, and they are back to normal. But for so many parents, just like you – the one fever or the one trip to the doctor turns into something frightening and life altering in the blink of an eye. We all hope and pray that it doesn’t happen to us, or to our children and when we see or hear of a child who has cancer or other serious illness, we push the thoughts to the darkest corners of our minds with a shallow thankfulness that it wasn’t our own child.

Today, right now sitting in hospitals across the world are millions of children who are sick. Every day, children become ill, or die from illnesses that cannot be cured. It seems somehow unjust that there are children fighting illnesses such as cancer that serve to do nothing more than rob these angels of their childhood. There are children born with birth defects, those that cannot walk, many that are mentally challenged in one way or another. And along side of these children, are parents just like you who thought it could never happen to them, or who could never allow their minds to go to a place as dark and dismal as to even think about their child becoming ill.

It is very sad. However, it is simply a gentle reminder that you should always feel grateful for the healthy children in your life. When you see them running around and playing, living a completely normal life playing sports and getting in trouble at school it is a bright reminder that your child is healthy. Certainly, you cannot live your life as a parent on the edge of your seat constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. But you should do your very best to always find a place for gratitude and thankfulness that your child, and you have been blessed with health.

Health is more important than money. More important that a lot of gifts under the tree at Christmas time. Health is something that so many of us take for granted until we are forced to reckon with it. And the health of your child is something that you have thought about as a mother, since the moment you found out you were pregnant. When you first delivered, you checked his or her ten toes and tiny fingers. You waited for the doctor to say that everything was perfectly okay and normal, and you felt immensely grateful that you were one of the lucky ones to give birth to a healthy child.

Your child grew up and with every bump or boo-boo, fever or sore throat; you worried and then felt immediately grateful that your child was okay in a few days time. But after an illness is over, it’s easy to lose sight of just how blessed you are for having a healthy child, especially when there are so many in this world that are not.

It is important to teach children to respect their health and their happiness. Praying for others that are in need, taking time to do for children who are less fortunate, and saying a daily, even if silent thank you, that your child is healthy are important parts of motherhood that you should never forget to do. When your child is driving you to the brink of insanity, and you think you cannot take another minute of their back talking or whining remember that they are healthy and that you are lucky to have these opportunities to discipline.

It can be too easy to take health for granted.

Being thankful for the healthy children in your life is extremely important. Being a mother is not always easy, and there are so many times that you will lose sight of what is really important. You shouldn’t feel guilty about this, as that is quite simply part of life. But do take the time to be grateful for all the things that you do have, and all the ways that your children bless your life. There are many people in this world who would trade places with you in a heartbeat, given the opportunity.