"When You Two Grow Up, You'll Need to be Next Door Neighbors"

That's what my mom said to me and my sister, Tam (short for Tamalamadingdong) years ago, and more than once.

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The most recent time (but still years ago.... think 25 years or so) was when we discovered that my sister loved newborns and I liked toddlers on up. My mom said, "When you two grow up, you'd need to be next door neighbors, so when her babies become toddlers she can send them over to you."

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Sounded like a plan!

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And before that, we discovered that Tam didn't handle medical emergencies so well, while I tended to stay calm. "When you two grow up, you'll need to be next door neighbors, so Lo can be there to help if ever you have an emergency."

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Interestingly enough, we aren't next door neighbors, but she came to visit with her busy little toddler. (she never handed him over to me when he outgrew the newborn stage- bummer) They weren't here long at all when we had a medical emergency while playing at the park.

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And just as it was in the past, I stayed calm while she..... didn't.

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Well, if him being in Tam's arms crying and bleeding one second and in my arms crying and bleeding the next.......... but I do not remember how he got in my arms....... if that's considered calm? Then I stayed calm. But Tam tells people I stayed calm, so let's go with that.

Here is the truth about me and being calm though. I am only calm when I have to be. I've discovered that when my kids have had their medical emergencies, or when I find a snake on my front porch or a spider in my shower..... if someone (usually Gary) is there that can be the calm one and handle the situation, then I become the uncalm one and let them handle it. If Gary's home, I am suddenly unable to kill a big spider, and he has to come in from outside or from the other side of the house to help. If there is a snake and he's not here, I got it. Because.... what choice do I have? And most especially, if one of my children have a medical emergency, if he's home I melt down and let him be the calm one...... but if there is nobody to rely on, I step up.

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So really I've discovered that I am not as calm as my mom used to say, in emergencies, unless I must be.

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But I reckon that's better than nothing, right?

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P.S. Tam- what happened to you giving me your kids when they grew out of the newborn stage?