A Mother's Heart

I need to talk to you soon.

These are the words that strike terror into a mother's heart.  Are you sick?  Are you pregnant?  Are you arrested?  The mind shoots into problem solving for a tragedy mode.

    I received a Facebook message from my daughter last night with those 7 words.  No details.  No explanation or other information.  I immediately wrote back and outlined my schedule for today including that she could call me in the night, wake me at 5 a.m., that I would come home early from work to talk with her by phone or Skype (remember, she is in Spain). 

   Needless to say, I slept poorly, wondering what was going on 3500 miles away. Was I going to need to fly to Spain today?  Was she coming home early?  (I can hear her exasperated sigh now)    When I got up and checked my email this morning, she said, "I just had a scheduling problem."   Really?  A scheduling problem?  For school?  Next term that doesn't start until after Thanksgiving?   Thanks a lot.

    Why doesn't she know that those words "I need to talk with you soon" are reserved for crises?  I shudder when I hear those words from my own parent, or my boss or anyone else who has power in my life.  They are words that are to me, harbingers of doom.

   So, her scheduling problem has been resolved.  I am not flying to Spain.  My heart stopped pounding.   Someday when she has a child, she will understand.