Bravery

Today we had to go to the Dr. for Leo and ended up getting flu shots for both kids. I am not one to keep things from Amelia, so when she asked if she was getting a shot, I told her the truth. We had to wait awhile in the waiting room and Amelia continued to tell me that she did not want to get a shot. My first thought was to reassure her that it would not hurt, but I realized that once she realized that it *did* hurt, she would not trust me in those kinds of situations. Once we were called in, she wanted "Leo first", but the nurse thought it would be better for her to go. I can't describe the genuine fear that came over her at that moment. Thankfully, she has never had to experience that emotion before and it was extremely difficult for me to witness. The only thing I could reassure her of was that it would be quick and would make her feel better in the long run. The saddest point for me was when Leo - who was playing on the floor quite contently - noticed that Amelia was crying and started crying too. When we got home, Amelia and I had a long talk about what it meant to be brave. For the rest of the night, Amelia kept muttering stuff to herself about being brave. Amelia is such a sponge and wont forget that shot for a very long time, but I also know that she wont forget how good it feels to be brave either.