"Im crying i cant find my
camera"
A text sent from Katie in Rome 3:35 am
Chicago time.
Not the wake up message a mother wants to see.
Certainly not the
worse thing that could happen to a 21-year old traveling around Europe.
My mind fast forwards to other reasons she could have for crying in a foreign
country.
Still not the best news for someone more apt to post on Facebook than
put together a photo album.
If she were home, I would stop what I
was doing and search high and low.
All I can do from afar is be a sympathetic listener, not chastising
her for the loss.
It could be anywhere - left in a hostel, taxi cab,
metro, restaurant, park or... stolen.
My initial response was "oh no"
which made her lament the loss even more, texting about a ruined trip, losing
hope and feeling mad, sad and frustrated.
To which I replied "pray, pray
and pray again",
knowing that her camera won't suddenly appear
but she may
feel better.
The thing about being a mother is our
job is never done.
Even when we're not on "active duty", we're still
on call
not so much to do anything but to be a sounding board,
a shoulder to
cry on or a voice of praise.
Sometimes the call bursts your buttons you're so
proud,
other times it tears at your heart.
other times it tears at your heart.
A mother's heart knows the
different between little snip and a gash.
Losing a camera on a once in a
lifetime trip is sad,
but Katie has a lot to be thankful for in her life.
but Katie has a lot to be thankful for in her life.
She won't have her photos, but others on the trip will share theirs...on
Facebook.
And yes, she will still be sad about losing her camera and
I will
miss out on seeing
Paris
Geneva
Rome
the cobblestone streets of Breda
through
Katie's eyes.