One of our mothers has a baby who is transfusion dependent and needs constant medical attention and care. During one of baby’s last transfusion sessions, mother was able to practice what she had learned in our Safe, Secure, and Loved class of affirming the child’s feelings and meeting them where they are at.
Mother had learned about the resilience practice of Compassionate Listening with Heart and was able to practice it with her son during this painful experience. “I know it hurts. Mama is here. You can cry all you need. Mama’s got you. It’s going to be okay.”
Mother did not lie to her baby or minimize his feelings of fear, anger, or sadness. She simply met baby where he was at, and she reassured him that she would be by his side the whole time and that they would get through it all together.
This is what resilience looks like: being able to show up for your child even when witnessing their pain is tearing at your heartstrings. This is strength and courage at its best. This is the power of being a resilient mother.
