With an abundance of wasps this summer and an allergic child who had not been tested for wasp stings ( a huge oversight on our part but not something we were thinking of in April...) I had been on high allert all summer waiting for his first sting. As the season's end approached I thought we had been lucky and avoided a 2009 attack. Not to be. Ben was on his way upstairs when he paused at the front door. I heard him begin to scream and knew immediantly what had happened before I saw the wasp still sitting on the screen. I ran to get his epi pen from the frige and picked him up. His finger started to swell bigger and bigger and then...nothing. I called the pharmacist (epi pen still in hand...) and asked if this was in fact a normal reaction. She said with isolated swelling and a few hives this was indeed what was to be expected. Because of his history however keep him on antihistimines for 24 hours but otherwise I felt it safe to stroke that off my worry list. Oh happy day!
The most memorable part of this incident was the little boy involved. Ben is facinated with bugs, he has a love/fear relationship with them and I assumed after this it would be more fear based. I had him on the kitchen counter waiting for a reaction while he sobbed clutching the affected finger. He paused for a moment and said
"Mommy, bug hurt too?"
"No Ben it was the bug that hurt YOU".
He got more insistant and desperate.
"No mommy, bug hurt, bug hurt! Mommy FIND HIM!"
I took him over to the door to see the wasp still buzzing around around outside, still marvalling at the fact that he was more concerned for the bug that hurt him then himself.
"Bug all better now Mommy?" He said satisfied with the insect flying around unfazed outside the door. A connection forged between them.
If only we could all have a touch of that degree of compassion. If only.
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