Germinal Press Blog - Mummy, I'm not immortal

Mummy, I'm not immortal

Sunday, 14 April 2013 Blog Post

This month I have a fable for you.

And though only partially related to parenting, it tells the very real story of precisely how fragile life can be.

This is the story of the woodchopper's wife.

It’s a Friday like any other Friday.

With her work in the orchards complete, the woodchopper's wife and her young children are happily playing in the fresh green meadow; chasing butterflies through the long grass; their sun-dappled cottage in the distance, beckoning them in for dinner.

Not feeling too well, the woodchopper's wife prepares the family meal and goes to bed early, leaving the children to read stories with their woodchopping dad.

Saturday comes and goes, and the fever persists.

Sunday arrives with no change, and so with worry furrowed across his brow, the woodchopper takes his wife to the village hospital.

His actions are just in time, as the village doctors rush the woodchopper's wife straight to intensive care.

For three long days and three long nights, the doctors work tirelessly to stabalise the infection: medicines are administered around the clock; the machines bleep continuously; the nurses mop her delerious brow; the woodchopper paces the halls worriedly with the children.

But thankfully as the sun rises on the fourth day, the woodchopper's wife wakes up, smiles a weak smile, and the long road of recovery begins.

Though she lost her job at the orchards, and is no longer able to run with ease, the woodchopper's wife is eventually able to return to the sun-dappled cottage in the soft green meadow to once more be with her woodchopping family.

One day the woodchopper asks his still exhausted wife, "Will we ever know what evil thing would send such a wickedness to our world, to almost take you from me, my love?"

The woodchopper's wife stared absently for a moment; lost in thought, saddened by the unfortunate events of recent times. Then looking up at her husband, she uttered just two words...

"Day care."

And the moral of the story?

Life really is precious, so forget about work just for a moment and stop to enjoy your children...No matter how frustrating they can be.

Hug them, kiss them, love them, but always wash your hands afterwards, because their germs can almost kill you.

A.J. Sutherland is the author of our latest title How To Be The Perfect Dad And Not F**k Things Up, which is available from this site and all good bookstores, and in downloadable form via iTunes and Amazon, among others.