I Can See

We get our children's eyes checked annually. This year, timing was off a bit with our travels and moving.

The last time we'd gone, both boys still needed glasses but all the girls were fine. Bethany showed slight signs of near sightedness, but "that's normal for her age", the eye doctor assured.

Over that year, if I had been more astute, Bethany showed signs of her eyesight declining.  It wasn't until early fall - a month after what should have been our yearly check-up - that she really started complaining about 'not seeing' things from afar.  With all the plans of moving and getting our house ready to sell, I procrastinated setting up eye appointments.

As we stayed with Granddad before our move, he questioned whether she should see an eye doctor.  He had asked her to pick up a piece of paper on the floor and she literally could NOT see it.  UUGH!

Horrible mommy moment number 6,042 - realizing I had let her vision wane so dramatically that she couldn't even see a paper a little more than 5 ft from her face.  UUGH!

Once moved, it took us a little while to find an optometrist that would accept our insurance.

Oh the sights she missed during that time.  The deer we all admired on our neighbors front porch, the antelope along the prairie, the jack rabbits in the distance; she missed them all or at the very least just saw "brown blobs moving in the distance."

I felt bad, but at the same time I couldn't change the past.  All I could do was set up an appointment and wait.

Finally, we made arrangements to see an eye doctor in Laramie.

Sure enough, Bethany was in dire need of glasses.  Elijah needed a new prescription as did I, but Jacob's had gratefully remained the same and the littles were still perfectly fine. Phew, I didn't go to 6,043-6,045 bad mommy moments.

The first pair of frames she tried on were 'the ones'.  She tried on several more, but always returned to the initial ones she placed upon her face.  They were quite attractive on her and even a pinkish hue.  Fitting for our elegant young lady.

The call came in.  Her glasses were ready. I think she would have happily walked the 30 miles to town if we had let her to get them right then and there.

Following Jacob's surgery, we made a quick stop at the eye doctor's office to have her glasses fitted and bring them home.

Bethany sportin' her new glasses

Oh the smile on her face as she put them on that first time.  "He looks so big and close", she exclaimed of the technician helping her. As we walked out the door, a little skip in her walk, she giddily read all the signs that were so fuzzy just moments before.

I can't get back the sights she missed, but I can marvel as she sees some things as if for the first time since we arrived in our mountain home.  I'm thankful for that opportunity and will relish with her.

Have you ever been so distracted, preoccupied with life that you've had a 'bad mommy moment' you'd rather forget?  So glad God's grace is new every day and that children extend similar grace so readily.