Growing Pains and Orphans

Madison is starting to have leg pains...growing pains. This was our conversation today about her pain:
Madison: My legs hurt.
Me: Why do your legs hurt? Did you do something to them?
Madison: They hurt because I eat
Me: :::giving her a very puzzled look:::
Madison: Now I am growing
She then rolls her eyes at my cluelessness.
I remember the growing pains I had, although I was older than she is. It was the worse pain I had ever experienced-long before labor pains! Growing pains-I guess we all experience them, in one way or another. We go through the leg pain, then the pain of adolescence, the pain of watching our children hurt, and the pain that our children's adolescence puts us through. Having two teenagers and a 4 year old, I have gone through a lot of those "growing pains" at the same time.

We had a tiny little kitty show up at our house...an orphan. Poor little thing was so scared that we couldn't even get close to him (her). Today, Madison picked up this little kitten and held it, petted it and loved it until it was purring so loud! The kitty finally sees we aren't going to hurt it. My little cat whisperer has made sure it has had food to eat, that it knows where the water bowl is, where the litter box is and that it is loved. I have explained to Madison that we can't keep the kitty and that we must find it a good home. We have Choo
Choo and he has herpes which is very contagious to other cats. I explained that we can't take care of two kitties with herpes and how we don't want this kitty to get sick. She says she understands but I know she will be heart broken when we do find it a home. She has such a caring heart.

Children with growing pains and orphan kitties are a lot a like. We love them through all the painful stuff and hope they always feel loved and wanted and cared for.

Tonight, I am thankful for the stages we grow through with our children, even when they are painful. I am thankful for Amanda , who cared enough for her baby sister to want to sit and rub her legs and had compassion for her pain. I am thankful that Madison feels the need to nurture this helpless little animal because I know that is something she will carry with her through life.