The Big Sis

Earlier this week, the Bailey's good friend, Silvia, put the following entry up on the Friends of the Bailey Family blog. Instead of simply linking to it, I've copied it here, since, as Silvia points out, "Emma is a main traveler on this journey." Enjoy this glimpse into how this brave big sister is doing.

Monday, February 16, 2009

The Big Sis

John and I visited the Bailey Bunch last Friday. Tata Ginny was already there, sitting with Emma in her cardboard spaceship on the kitchen floor, reading a book. It was Friday: Pizza and Wine/Beer time with the Baileys. Emma grabbed me so we can have a "ghost party" in the living room. This party entailed sitting under a white blanket, chatting about her favorite things and sharing a bag of baby carrots. She gave me all the big ones and saved the little ones for herself - obviously since she cannot bite the larger ones, as she informed me. During these hard times, sometimes we need reminding that although Jack Jack is in the center of what is happening, Emma is also a main traveler on this journey and will have to overcome obstacles of her own. The best way we can help her on that journey is with the time we spend with her.

John and I waited until Damond came home to have some of the pizza, which we all have to agree, hot or cold, is pretty much the "candy of food," as Damond later very accurately described. While we were waiting, Ginny and I went up to put Emma to bed. She was such an energetic little one - unabashedly declaring that she was in no way ready to go to bed. She did, however, agree to reading one book, a bedtime song and kisses good night. We selected "I Want to be a Doctor," a Sesame Street book written by Liza Alexander and illustrated by Lauren Attinello. As we navigated through the story, Emma amazed me with her understanding of doctors, how they help people like Jack Jack and her interjections of what her "Little Bro" was going to go through in the next couple of years (losing his hair, etc.). She even pronounced "stethoscope" better than I did! This visit was yet another portrayal of the awe inducing nature of resilience in children. Although we are all born with an innate capacity for resilience, by which we are able to develop a sense of purpose despite adversity, Emma's way of dealing with Jack Jack's leukemia can teach us all something. Look at you, Emma, you're all grown up!