A Bright (Fingernail) Future

I think I'm always drawn to the vulnerable ones. While I don't officially have "favorites," I do have this pull towards the ones that have the hardest fight. Sometimes it is an emotional battle and sometimes it is physical.

Cora is the one who has my heart right now... holding her makes me a little sad and a little fearful. I can feel her heart racing under my fingertips, and the rapid pace of her breathing makes me wish I could take a deep, calming, and healing breath for her. She has a mouthful of teeth, but she's looks as if she's maybe 5 months old.

She can't have heart surgery yet -- her blood pressure is too high, and surgery would be dangerous. Hopefully soon... in the meantime, she just seems so sick and weak; we're praying she pulls through.

In the middle of writing this, three of our oldest girls visited the office to have their nails painted. (Yes, we double as a beauty salon for a certain group of little girls. Each of us has something in her desk that appeals to the beauty parlor instinct of the girls. Some have nail polish, others have lip gloss. Needless to say, they're always wanting to come to the office for primping and preening.) I was struck by the fact that 2 of the 3 girls were once just like Cora... fighting for life.

Now they're perfectly fine. Beautiful, giggling, healthy, happy, full-of-life little girls.

So here I am, praying that someday Cora is in the office, picking between pink, yellow, sparkly, and red nail polish. Until then, I'll enjoy cuddling her...