On cold, liquid salt, vaporub and more

I woke up at 3:00am for the bathroom, but couldn’t find sleep since then for a very good reason.

Upon returning to our room I found out that due to bad cold Christian, my younger nephew, breathes through his mouth causing him to breathe louder than our AC. This set me out for a “Salinase” hunting mission. I knew I gave him the 30ml Sodium Chloride bottle when he went to his grandparents on his mother’s side, but still I had to ransack my medicine cabinet or else I’d find no peace. Unluckily, only the yellow and green box complete with the needed instructions presented itself, yet failed to serve its purpose.  Life can be like that small box sometimes – stuffed with guidelines or even choices which we could not  follow because of certain circumstances.

Going back to my mission, I scooped out a pea-size of Vicks Vaporub instead and rubbed some under Christian’s nose and on his chest.  Afterwards, I added an extra pillow under his head to keep it elevated.  These should help him, too, although the Salinase would have been a faster solution.  Then a thought came again – life branches out to different directions, a few of which instantly lead to our goals; others are punched with puddles that slow us down.

Meanwhile, after doing what I could do best for my nephew I already had an option to go back to sleep.  But the hissing sound still echoes in our room shouting at the mother in me so I went down to get a cup of coffee instead of throwing myself to bed. Then I sat beside my brother’s little boy and wondered if he would even know I stayed awake for him at all.

A few sips and a half full cup later, Christian’s breathing smoothed out already and words came joggling inside my head so I sat down to write.  More than an hour of waiting and a sleepless Monday morning proved worth my time.  The mommy in me felt relieved and happy for a job done with patience and love while the writer in me jumbled excitement and joy with hope for a greater find.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).