Pregnant or know someone who is? Check these stories out.

:: >>

There was a junior high dance that night in the school auditorium. Me and my friends were going, without dates, as usual. But we were still looking forward to it. Right before my friend was going to pick me up, my father collapsed and my Mom got him to their bed. He was having another heart attack.

He had had one once before, and he didn’t want to go back to the hospital. He told my mother not to call emergency. He wouldn’t let her. He just wanted to die right there at home. And I was frantic telling her to just do it. Just call! I can’t remember where the rest of my brothers and sister were. It was like it was just us three in this little space that was closing in.

I went to my Dad in the dark and held his hand and begged him to go to the hospital because I didn’t want him to die. He finally said okay. I was talking very quietly and crying. He was in a lot of pain and it scared me to see him weak. And it scared me even more that he might die all alone with just me there with him while my Mom was finally calling. The rescue came, just as my friend showed up. Mom pushed me out the door and told me to go the dance with my friend. But I didn’t want to leave, but I did. I stayed in the girls’ restroom crying most of the time at the dance, worried about my Dad.

When I got home, he was in the hospital and doing okay, Mom said. I was mad at my Mom for pushing me away, but I realize now she probably just wanted to protect me. But, it was worse being sent away with no other family around. She was also scared, I could tell, and was trying hard to respect what Dad wanted, and couldn’t worry about my needs that weren’t so important as his at the time.

So I never said anything to her. Instead, I decided to not concentrate on how I felt, but on how my Dad (and my Mom) felt. And, when I did that, I really felt better myself. I had been a good help, and now I could feel good about THAT, rather than feeling angry about the other. If I could handle holding my Dad’s hand like that, (and I did!), then I feel I can certainly handle just about anything!