Monday, March 29, 2010

Pooshee pooshee boo boo...

is a time honored family term coined sometime in the 70's by my mother-in-law for her boys and their illnesses. When dating Husband I came to hear it during somebody's malady. No memory now of the who or what, but the term struck me as so funny that it has stuck throughout our own marriage "in sickness and in health" times. And on into our boys' illnesses.

My mother-in-law told me once that the first time Husband was ill as an infant, she remembered panicking and thinking, "I sure wish his mother would come and take care of him.....oh yeah, I'm his mother." And from that moment she felt real. An odd sort of Velveteen rabbit moment but one I understood when a first time mother of my own son.

So much of the whole getting pregnant, being pregnant time can pass as a dream. But taking that newborn home and knowing yourself to be fully responsible for everything.that.happens.to.him. Wow. That was an eye-opener.

Having a child that was so chronically ill for such a long time made this mom a fierce advocate for his health and care in tough situations. Situations I never thought I would face during the dreaming days. Those were the days when pooshee pooshee boo boo didn't fix anything.

These days it brings a grimace grin to the faces of my sons. "Awww, Mom, stop it." And a smile that lurks beneath the words. Because they know that somehow it means that they are all right.

3 comments:

  1. So I'm guessing things are returning to normal around your place and everyone is keeping things where they should be. I hope so...

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  2. Our word is "papsy lau". Pap-see -and- lau rhymes with cow. It's actually not meant to comfort, but to force a smile which can reveal that they may not feel quite as bad as they're letting on.

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  3. I'm thinking they will all say it to their kids. And then they will get "awww, DAAAD!" from them.

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