A mother's heart....

(this first paragraph from Hana's blog, and then some Mommy thoughts at the end)

Well Hana had her first death in the family tonight. For Christmas Baba gave Hana a little ceramic dog that barks when it detects motion. I wondered how long he would last. He was supposed to be perched in our entryway to announce visitors, but there was no way I was going to put him there where he would also wake up a little girl all the time. And Hana also would not have stood for bow-wow living in the entryway. For weeks she has carried this puppy around as a toy, feeding him, putting him to bed, giving him baths (in available card board boxes) and just generally loving on him like she does all her favorite dolls and stuffed toys. I was amazed that a ceramic dog was so appealing to a two year old, but she loved him. Probably partially because he was a gift from one of her favorite people. Well tonight while preparing herself and bow-wow for bed, Hana was carrying him and she tripped and fell on top of him. Mommy was at the gym, so Daddy was on hand to witness the event, and unfortunately bow-wow broke! Daddy says she was really upset that bow-wow met with the end of his life as her toy. We could glue him back together, but I think he would just meet the same fate again soon, and I would rather her not keep playing with a cermaic toy (although sturdy it was) so we are going to bury bow-wow tomorrow. Or maybe just let bow-wow disappear overnight.

I'm so sad for her, that something so precious to her has to go away. I understand now so much of what my own mother went through in my childhood. She used to be so happy with me, often happier than I was when I had some great thing happen to me. And she also grieved with me, when sad things happen, and I often wondered why SHE was crying about my cat dying or my brother's dog being run over, etc. She would always tell me that what made me happy made her happy and what made me sad made her sad. Now I understand. If I had been here when bow-wow broke, I probably would have cried with Hana. I cry when she gets shots, or just when having to be checked by a doctor makes her so upset. When she is sick, I think I feel worse for her that she feels so miserable, than she probably actually feels. And when she is happy, my heart soars!

Now I understand Mom!