What sends a shiver down your spine? Is it staring death in the face? Is it facing your phobia?
My mother has always been awkward in signing papers. Given a choice, she’d rather get her thumb printed. That’s old school. But that’s how she is.
She was given an anaesthetic for a procedure in the hospital. She was visibly affected, but still in good spirit. When she was told to sign on the document, her hands trembled. The doctor said the medication may have caused her to shiver.
Deep down, I know she’s worried and scared and anxious about the result. Never one to seek treatment, such tests and procedure are foreign to her. She gave an awkward grin and said she couldn’t stop her hands from shivering. She could only complete a third of her intended signature before it became too much for her.
The doctor intervened, thankfully: “That’s enough, it will do.”
Ironically, it’s through these checkups in the clinic and hospitals that our relationships have strengthened.
I treasure our time together much more after I became a father. Being a parent isn’t just a lifestyle change. It’s a life changed. The perspective changes. You develop empathy and you communicate more coherently so a 3 year-old can understand.
You understand parenting is the hardest job in the world and it makes you appreciate your parents more.
And for me, the fear of losing my love ones make me shiver.