I was driving Kiera to her doctor appointment one afternoon last week. It was a nice day. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze giving the afternoon an almost spring like appearance. You know, the normal kind of weather for a winter day in Texas. We were singing along with a song that was playing on the radio.
As I turned onto the highway leading to the pediatrician’s office, I turned the radio down slightly so I could talk to Kiera.
“Now, honey, this doctor that you are going to see is not your normal doctor. He is actually the doctor that was there the day you were born.” I began explaining.
“What did he do to me the day I was born?” she asked.
“Well, he counted your fingers and toes, made sure you were breathing well, checked your eyes and ears and a lot of other things.” I said, glancing in the rearview mirror as I turned my blinker on.
I made the turn into the doctor’s parking lot and began to look for an open space. I checked the radio clock and noted to myself that we were right on time for her appointment.
“Mommy?” Kiera said, pausing for a moment.
“Yes, baby.” I answered as I turned around at the end of the parking lot to head for an open space that I had passed.“I have a question about babies.” She stated matter-of-factly.
Suddenly, it was as if the gentle breeze stopped blowing and the sun went behind a cloud. I managed to not hit the brakes as my stomach took an uneasy dip at her statement.
Time seemed to freeze as I considered my options. I could tell her that since we were at the doctor’s office, she could ask the doctor her baby question. But that didn’t seem entirely fair to ambush her doctor like that, even if it was not her normal doctor.
I considered a distraction technique, but couldn’t think of one that would work in that instance. I didn’t have anything close at hand and I was still working on parking.
I pulled into an open parking space and put the car in park. Taking a deep breath, I glanced in the rearview mirror, smiled at Kiera and said, “Okay, honey. What’s your question?”
“When babies are born, how do they open their eyes? Does the doctor have to open them?” She innocently asked.
I smiled a genuine smile as the breeze picked back up as if sighing in relief for me. The sun peeked back out from the clouds and everything was once again right in the world as I answered her question.
And just like that, I had once more survived the terror of the baby question.
Rowonna McNeely is a graphic artist for Willie’s T’s Screenprint & Embroidery. She is a mother of a five year old girl and step mother of two adult girls. Her crazy life includes a dog, Sloane and psychotic cat, Gracie. Both females. She is married to her prince, who is outnumbered by the opposite gender.
