All my hopes were dashed, words spilled out of her mouth and tears fell from her eyes. "My breathing's bad, I feel sick- I went to the nurse and she wouldn't send me home - told me to have a drink- and a net ball hit me on the head- it really hurt-and I felt all shivery - didn't eat my dinner..." etc etc etc and this is all before crossing the threshold! I sigh. My hypochondriac daughter. There was I thinking all was right with the world.
I let her in and feel her brow, no temperature. I sit her down and give her a drink and something to eat. We talk. She tells it all to me over again, but more coherently. I listen and nod. She worries a lot. She worries about worrying. These symptoms, apart from a netball landing on her head, are a regular occurrence when she is in this state of mind and the more she worries the worse the symptoms get. Even the school nurse is getting wise to her, which is thankful because I used to get a lot of calls to go and pick her up when there was nothing really wrong.
We talk about more ranging subjects. I sit a large packet of Tortilla chips beside her and she digs in. The worry subsides, the symptoms go. She is herself again, for now. I breath a sigh of relief.
She talks about spending New Year with her Dad, and how they have so much to do, he may not be able to take her to her regular physio appointment. She needs to attend her regular appointment. 'I'm really looking forward to New Year' She says, calmer now. And as I listen to these words I am telling myself that that does not mean she is not looking forward to Christmas with me. Does it? It is just words. I hope. I know that she is stressing about Christmas and how it will be different this year. She is the negative to my positive. I feel drained.
Small Sprog, on the other hand is a boy. He is not yet a teen and things seem very simple in comparison. Tonight he has a friend home from school. I have just been into the sitting room to see what they're up to. They have the bowl of 'obligatory' Christmas nuts and the implement to crack them with the carpet. All over the carpet. They are shelling them. Everywhere! I think I may need to hoover later! Is it the technicalities of nut cracking that make it such an interesting pastime for small boys or are men just obsessed with their nuts?!
Anyway, I'm off to let the cat out before he shreds the front door. Give me strength to keep it together for the festive season. Please!
It is so hard being a teenager and actually, given how I was when I was a teen, your daughter sounds perfectly normal - honestly!
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like she's trying to convince herself that she will be happy in the New Year with her dad! Have you thought of that?
ReplyDeleteI am sure everything will be Ok. You know you will have a good Christmas. Different but OK.
Our schools break up on Friday! I've broken up already!
Maggie X
Nuts in May
I'm hoping to survive the Festive Season too...and for similar reasons xx
ReplyDeleteAh teenagers!
ReplyDeleteI hope TG settles down a bit and enjoys Christmas after all. More worrying and hypochondria wouldn't be much fun!
ReplyDeleteI used to be keen on cracking nuts when I was a kid. Can't think why, it's so laborious, much easier to eat nuts ready-shelled.
I remember loving cracking nuts as a kid - never ate them just cracked them. My Dad has this one where you put the nut in a bowl thing and then at the top was a blade and a handle that had a ratchet on it and you slowly cranked the nut onto the blade... WICKED!!!
ReplyDeleteHey they still make them... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bar-Craft-Cracker-Ratchet-Stainless/dp/B000YJ79DI
I have a girl just like that - bless her. I think that Christmas with you is something that she's NOT worrying about - therefore, it doesn't get mentioned ;) x
ReplyDeleteMy three are now 22, 28 and 31 and a half respectively Suburbia, and yet even after years and years this post of yours resonated with me.
ReplyDeleteThe younger two are boys, but the 31 yr old is a girl. And I recognise all the symptoms.
My darling Dad used to say "it is just a phase" each time I complained about various occurences, with my three, but as I have grown older and much wiser, I see he was totally and utterly correct.
It all passes, and soon, before you know it, both of them will be adults, and you will miss these quirks and their moods and fun.
Take it from me, I have walked the walk and talked the talk LOL
Sorry I have been so missing, just life took over and I have had no time to recount it all.
A wise friend told me once, that in her experience, the less you blog, the more happy you are in real life. I notice on looking in today for the first time for a long while, you have not been so regular in your posts,as previously.
I hope you are feeling happy, Christmassy and looking forward to the future.
I may try to get back to my blog, but if I don't manage it, you will know, if you should possibly care, I am actually very content with stuffs at the moment, so am not rocking any boats ;0D
All good wishes for the New Year,
to you and Tall Girl and Small Sprog, btw he is so much like my boys when they were young, and Tall Girl, well, so much like my grown up dauther when she was younger.
J xxxxxxx
Another challenge successfully worked through. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteTall Girl has been through a pretty upsetting time; I'm not surprised she has these challenges (as well as the ordinary challenges of being a teenager).
Tall Girl has been through a lot this year, and being a teenager, it's bound to hit her harder than others. But I'm sure she'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteIf I don't "see" you again before the holidays, have a very Merry Christmas!
She's a teenager. A girl. Don't worry, you've only got another 6, 7, 8 years of it.
ReplyDeleteActually Younger Son is the worrier in our house (apart from me). It's horrid to see him going through what I went through. But we get there and you will too.