The natural vs. the unnatural

There's nothing that could convince me otherwise. It's simply unnatural for a child to be taken from its mother. While there are thousands of reasons a mother/child separation may occur, it's just not nature's intended way. Of this, I'm quite certain. A mother's instinct to protect and care for a child is one of humanity's most fundamental characteristics.

There's something else I'm absolutely sure about. It's totally natural for a mother to go to any lengths to make her hurting child well. Whether it's a bandaid that's not really needed or a procedure far more complex than tubes in little ears, a mother will beg, plead and persuade who ever to do whatever is needed to heal her child. This quality is one which is gained the instant a mother learns she's a mother.

So placed in a circumstance where the natural and unnatural collide, which will prevail?

The natural.

As much as I would have rather ripped my heart from my chest and handed it over to strangers dressed in scrubs, it was Alysse they wanted. And knowing it was her best chance for feeling well, the natural triumphed. I handed her over.

While the tears most certainly sealed the unnatural fate, the ultimate outcome a 15-month old who now hears her own voice correctly for the first time in who knows how long, and new "words" coming from her sweet mouth that had yet to be heard by anyone. Naturally, that sounds wonderful.

P.S. Today, I'm thankful for:

• The moment my baby was back in my arms.
• A mother who knows what having four children is like.
• Trace's love for being outdoors.
• Alena's passionate nature.
• Alivia's new found assertion in letting us know when she's talking and someone has interrupted her.
• A husband who has strength when mine is not so strong.