pain

Being a Mom to a sick child has got to be one of the hardest things to do/be.
It's hard because it's physically tiring. Cleaning up bodily fluids, more cleaning and lots of holding, which is nice, but also tiring.
It's hard because it's emotionally painful to watch your little child be in pain and not be able to do anything (really) to help them because you know that you'd take their pain away if you could. But you can't.
And my child only has the stomach flu.
I can't begin to imagine the pain of those parents who have to go with their child for chemotherapy treatments and watch their baby lose their hair and suffer beyond what they have suffered or will ever have to suffer. I can't begin to imagine the pain of those parents who have to hold their dying child and watch them struggle to breathe and listen and watch them take their last breath of life here on earth. I can't begin to imagine the pain of those parents who have to witness their walking, running, climbing child be crushed and destined to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of their life.
I can't even begin to imagine their pain.

It makes me think of Mary - Jesus' mother. I actually think of this and break down every time I watch The Passion of the Christ. The pain she must have felt to see her son - her innocent, perfectly sinless son take the fall for the rest of us who have known and willingly engaged in sin. I can't even begin to imagine her pain.

*As a side note, I know there is much pain felt by God the Father, but I write this as a mother and so that is why I mention Jesus' mother, Mary.