Thursday, February 18, 2010

Why I Hate Curling

As in Olympic curling.

Don't get me wrong. If I actually tried the sport I might actually enjoy it. But really, it looks super boring to watch.

Really boring.

And I should know. I watched HOURS of it last winter Olympics and I DESPISED it then too.
But I have a reason.

Four years ago, my mom, my sister, my sister in law and my soon to be sister in law were all over watching opening ceremonies with me and my three boys and my itty bitty baby boy. Itty bitty baby boy (S4) seemed to have a cough and I felt so bad for him, being all of a month old, having such an awful sounding cold.

I brought him in that next week for a check up with the pediatric office I love who has cared for all our boys and when they heard S4 do his barky cough they went from chit chat and “he's sooooo cute” to very quiet and very very very serious.

And I was very scared.

It turned out to not be just a bad sounding cough but RSV. My dear doctor looked me in the eye and told me “this is extremely serious. Only because I know you will get right back here am I letting you leave here with him. You go home, get arrangements for the boys, get what you need and immediately get right back up here. Immediately.”

And I became very very scared.

I was certain that at any moment my little precious baby would quit breathing. Forever.
My itty bitty baby was laid in a metal cage looking bed and hooked to a million (it seemed) cords where he was monitored constantly to make sure his oxygen would not dip below a safe point.

He was given masks of medicine. He was so tiny, so tiny, and locked in a big cold bed.

And then I was very very very scared.

As soon as the nurses left, I cradled him close to me and sobbed. And the only time I put him in that cold awful looking bed was when the nurses needed him to be. It wasn't too long before they just let me hold him during all the tests.

And the one and only thing on the TV the entire time I was there was curling. Hours of mind numbing curling to try to keep my mind off the fact that I was in the hospital with my very sick baby. And all I could do watching boring curling was despise it. And pray. Pray like I had never before.

We were there two nights and three days. His levels never dropped dangerously low and they sent us home wishing us the best and with lots of medicine.

And every time I see curling on the Olympics, that awful feeling in the pit of my tummy resurfaces and throughout the house all the boys here me holler about hating the sport and S4 wraps his arms around me and lets me know he loves me.

Oh, thank you God for blessings upon blessings. Even the blessing of curling, yes curling, to keep my prayers ever constant to you in my dark hours.

6 comments:

outdoor.mom said...

what a cool blog! how'd you manage to get a cammo background?! love the outdoor shots too :-)

ValAnn said...

Oh Denise! You made me cry... I think that's the best reason I've heard to hate curling. It is so strange how a song, or a sport, or anything brings back those strong memories and emotions. I tear up every time I hear "Everybody's Broken" by Bon Jovi. It was the song playing on the radio when I heard my grandfather passed away, and all I could hear was, "It's okay, to be a little broken, Everybody's broken, in this life..." As I sobbed and sobbed...

Anyway, so go ahead and hate curling, or just let it remind you of the amazingness of God's grace and healing for your itty bitty S4!

Denise said...

outdoor.com...thanks! Glad you found me, which was how again? The camo background was something my friend Sue over at http://praiseandcoffee.com did for me, she is the sweetest! She and I figured with all the boys loving camo, it was a wise move. Although, notice, it is GIRLY camo!

Val...thank you. I know exactly what you mean and I thank you for what you said. I've got songs like that too...right down to the first day of school for the boys! :)

Becca @ My Crazy Good Life said...

Oh, I would hate curling, too. Isn't it weird how we associate memories with things like that? Tv shows, songs...

Anonymous said...

I am so sad that you went through that. God is so faithful to take care of His own. ANd I don't even know what curling is except for in lifting weights or doing hair. But I definitely think that it should serve as a reminder of God's powerful love. :)
R

Anonymous said...

Amen bro.
Curling stinks. It is NOT a sport it is an activity. It is about as physical as bowling, by no means does it deserve to be in the olympics. The worst thing is that the matches take so long and they keep showing it on tv...feels like it is on half the time.